Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, convened a review meeting on January 13 at the Conference Hall of the UT Secretariat to discuss the expenditure under the SDP/State Capex and strategize the utilization of an additional ₹400 crore budget released by the Ministry of Finance for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Dr. Safdar Ali, Director of Finance, provided a detailed presentation on both the budget estimates and the revised budget estimates for the financial year 2024-25. It was announced that the capital budget for the LAHDCs has been restored to ₹344.00 crore each, with the remaining funds reallocated according to the needs of various departments.

Advisor Dr. Kotwal emphasized the need for collective efforts from all officers to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in resource utilization. He stressed that every rupee spent should contribute to Ladakh's holistic development. He further directed the officers to utilize the funds promptly and clear liabilities associated with the work completed by different departments. Dr. Kotwal underlined the importance of fiscal responsibility, timely execution, and continued collaboration to address any challenges during the execution phase.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Administrative Secretaries Vikram Singh Malik, Tourism & Culture; Michael D’Souza (PWD); Yetindara Maralkar (FCS&CA); Bhupesh Chaudhary (Agriculture & Horticulture); Shashanka Ala (RDD); Bhanu Prabha (Higher & School Education); Deputy Commissioners Santosh Sukhadeve (Leh) and Shrikant Suse (Kargil), as well as heads of various departments and other concerned officials.