Leh, Mar 12: Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, on Wednesday underscored the need for close coordination among government departments to ensure the timely execution of development works under the Vibrant Village Programme, directing officials to prioritise critical infrastructure and essential services in the selected villages.
Kundra made these observations while chairing a review meeting to assess the progress and implementation of the programme in Ladakh. The meeting focused on evaluating ongoing development works, reviewing the planning framework, and outlining the future course of action under the initiative.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner/Secretary Dr L. Franklin, Administrative Secretaries, Deputy Commissioner Leh, Directors, Joint Directors and other Heads of Departments.
During the session, Administrative Secretary Shashanka Ala delivered a detailed presentation on the Vibrant Village Programme, outlining its objectives, coverage, financial outlay and the progress achieved in Ladakh so far. The presentation also explained the planning framework adopted in the Union Territory, under which district infrastructure planning and development plans have been aligned with district-level priorities to ensure balanced and need-based development.
Officials were also briefed on the comparative progress between Phase-I and Phase-II of the programme. The review included a discussion on the thematic saturation approach adopted for the selected villages to ensure that development interventions address multiple sectors simultaneously.
The meeting further examined the distribution of Vibrant Village Programme villages across Leh and Kargil districts and reviewed the status of infrastructure assessments conducted in these locations. Officials informed the meeting that villages located in areas under the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Army will be developed in coordination with these agencies.
The review also focused on livelihood generation in border villages, particularly through horticulture and animal husbandry. The Horticulture Department has been tasked with ensuring the establishment of greenhouses in these areas to support agricultural activity under the region’s harsh climatic conditions.
Progress of projects under implementation, the category-wise distribution of works and gaps requiring administrative intervention were also discussed in detail during the meeting.
Emphasising accountability and adherence to programme guidelines, the Chief Secretary called for regular monitoring and timely utilisation of funds to ensure that the Vibrant Village Programme translates into sustained development for remote border communities in Ladakh.
