Ladakh News
Chief Secretary Dr Pawan Kotwal Convenes High-Level Meeting to Assess Hailstorm Damages Across UT Ladakh Leh, 23 April 2025: The Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, today chaired a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat in Leh to evaluate the extent of damages caused by the recent hailstorm across various regions of the Union Territory. Senior officials from multiple departments, including Power Development, Horticulture, Road Connectivity, Irrigation, and Agriculture, presented comprehensive reports detailing the impact of the storm on essential infrastructure and livelihoods. Dr Kotwal underscored the imperative of conducting swift and accurate assessments to facilitate the timely disbursement of relief measures. He instructed the relevant departments to constitute dedicated assessment teams to evaluate the full extent of the damages caused by the hailstorm. Highlighting the widespread damage to agricultural crops throughout the Union Territory, the Chief Secretary directed the District Magistrates of Leh and Kargil to ensure that complete assessments are finalised within a period of ten days. He further emphasised the need for close coordination with the respective Chief Executive Councillors during the assessment process. In a bid to ensure transparency and accuracy, Dr Kotwal mandated that all assessments be supported by photographic evidence of the damaged infrastructure. He affirmed that compensation would be disbursed in accordance with the established norms of disaster management, once the Union Territory Administration has completed its thorough evaluation. The meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretaries of the Power Development Department, Information Technology Department, Agriculture Department, and General Administration Department, as well as the Commissioner Secretary of the Planning Department and other concerned officials. District Magistrate Kargil, Additional District Magistrate Kargil, SDM Sankoo, SDM Zanskar, SDM Chiktan, and SDM Drass participated in the meeting via video conference. |
