In a comprehensive endeavor to gain firsthand insights into the challenges and needs of the remote villages, Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve concluded his intensive 3-day tour of Nyoma subdivision on August 26. The tour covered Chumoor, Korzok, and Govt Residential High School Puga.

He was accompanied by Councillor Korzok, Karma Namdak; SE Hydraulic Leh, Sonam Wangchuk; SDM Nyoma, Jigmet Angchuk, and several other subdivision-level officers from Nyoma.

During the visit to Chumoor, DC interacted with both the staff and students at Primary School Chumoor seeking insights into the intricate workings of the school, understanding the challenges it faces, and ascertaining its immediate needs.

The villagers expressed their primary concerns and aspirations. Main demand among these was the urgent need for dependable tele-connectivity and internet access, improved road infrastructure.  Addressing power shortages through a stable grid connection, overcoming staffing deficits in educational institutions and other departments, easing wildlife department restriction for unhindered developmental works were also highlighted.

Further, villagers from border areas demanded the issuance of Line of Actual Control (LAC) certificates for their children, aiming to secure their rightful opportunities.

The Govt Residential High School Puga echoed similar demands including upgrading existing classrooms to CBSE standards, filling vacant teaching and non-teaching positions, enabling mobile internet to facilitate online learning, ensuring adequate drinking water provisions, providing sports equipment, repairing solar water heating systems, and even constructing a modern indoor stadium.

Additionally, the demands included the allocation of a school bus, introduction of dance and music instructors to enrich the curriculum, reorganization of the electricity connection, and the establishment of a footpath around the school campus for safety. Furthermore, the villagers appealed for medical personnel to be stationed at Puga Hospital, ensuring timely healthcare access.

In response, DC Santosh Sukhadeve reassured swift attention to these concerns, acknowledging their significance in achieving holistic growth. He pledged unwavering commitment to the advancement of the schools, promising to promptly address legitimate grievances and escalate matters warranting higher-level intervention.

Expressing contentment at the end of the tour, DC Sukhadeve termed the tour as productive as it effectively enabled the DC to discern on-ground issues, and assess pressing needs of the border villages.

He emphasized that the Union Territory Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and the District Administration stand united in their dedication to assisting border villages through the Government of India's Village Viable Program (VVP), ensuring comprehensive and inclusive development.