Leh, Sept 28: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday inaugurated Ladakh’s first three-tier Multi-Level Stacked Parking Facility at the District Motor Garage in Leh and flagged off an Electric Vehicle Demonstration Rally as part of efforts to promote smart infrastructure and cleaner mobility in the Union Territory.
The Lieutenant Governor also distributed subsidy cheques to beneficiaries who purchased electric cars under the Ladakh Electric Vehicle and Allied Infrastructure Policy.
The three-tier parking facility, the first of its kind in Ladakh, can accommodate 30 vehicles. The facility has been developed to make better use of limited urban land, increase parking capacity and ease pressure on public spaces amid growing urbanisation and tourist footfall in Leh.
Saxena said smart infrastructure solutions were particularly important in Ladakh, where land availability is limited and urban areas are facing increasing pressure.
Highlighting the Ladakh EV Policy, he said the initiative was aimed at encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles and promoting cleaner transportation in the Union Territory.
The beneficiaries who received the subsidy cheques included those who availed themselves of the Early Bird Incentive, which provides a subsidy of up to 20 per cent, subject to specified caps, including up to Rs 5 lakh for electric cars.
The Lieutenant Governor also flagged off an Electric Vehicle Demonstration Rally to assess the suitability and performance of electric vehicles in Ladakh’s high-altitude and challenging terrain.
JSW MG Motor India, Hyundai Motor India, Kia India and Mahindra & Mahindra are participating in the demonstration by bringing electric vehicles for the initiative.
Saxena said Ladakh’s development model must take into account its high altitude, difficult terrain, cold climate, fragile ecology and rich cultural heritage.
He stressed the need to balance the growth of tourism with environmental sustainability by reducing air pollution and carbon emissions arising from increasing vehicular movement.
“Ladakh’s development cannot mean simply creating more infrastructure. We have to create better infrastructure and adopt cleaner technologies that are suited to our geography and environment,” Saxena said.
He added that as tourism and mobility increase, economic growth should not come at the cost of Ladakh’s fragile environment.
