Leh, May 01 (KNO): Asserting that Ladakh has remained the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led regime, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the Union Territory has witnessed rapid transformation since the 2019.
Addressing a gathering here, Shah, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) listed sweeping political, social and economic changes the region witnessed after bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. “Development of the region has remained the priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s development agenda,” he said.
Shah said Ladakh had long demanded Union Territory status due to lack of development. “Today change is visible across all sectors,” he added.
Shah said that Ladakh has now seven districts and 193 panchayats, with five new districts — Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass — created and notifications already issued.
Shah said that local languages had also been given administrative recognition. “Earlier only Hindi and English were in use, but now Bhoti, Purgi and Urdu have also been accorded importance”.
Highlighting infrastructure growth, he said road length in Ladakh has increased from about 1,799 km before 2019 to 4,040 km now. “The road constructions has almost doubled.”
Shah said that the number of bridges has risen from 19 to 72 increasing the number by three times.
Spelling out development in other sectors, he said that mobile towers have increased from 344 to 653, while helipads have gone up from seven to 41, he said. “Snow-clearing machines, crucial for the region, have increased from 60 to 215.” On power infrastructure, Shah said grid-related works have increased from 145 to 184, while distribution transformers have gone up from 1,182 to 3,153.”
“I am giving these figures on this scale because after becoming a Union Territory, it (Ladakh) has remained the focus of the Narendra Modi government, the focus of the prime minister of the country, and so many development works have taken place together,” the minister said.
He said the impact of better infrastructure was visible in road connectivity, with the Zojila Pass, which earlier remained shut for 127 days, remaining closed for only 19 days this year. “The Kargil-Leh road, which earlier remained closed for nearly 175 days, was shut for only 11 days.”
Shah said work on the Zojila tunnel is in progress, construction of the Shinkun La tunnel has started and a new civil airport is also coming up.
He said that VSAT connectivity has been extended to all panchayats and major work has been undertaken to upgrade telecom towers.
In the education sector, Shah said Sindhu Central University has been established, 174 ICT labs set up, 130 smart classrooms created, 40 science laboratories built and 24 Atal Tinkering Labs established.
He said Ladakh became a fully literate administrative unit in 2024 and claimed there was no illiterate person left in the region.
“Nearly 98 per cent households have been provided tap water connections under the Har Ghar Jal scheme, while substantial work has also been carried out in agriculture and horticulture,” he said.
Shah said Ladakh’s budget has risen from Rs 1,000 crore when it was part of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state to Rs 6,000 crore now.
He also announced the formation of the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation, saying it would play an important role in promoting industrial growth in the coming years. “We want this border region to become selfreliant,” Shah said. He asserted that development in the UT is because of the vision of the prime minister.
TODAY’S BUDDHA PURNIMA TRULY GOLDEN OCCASION FOR PEOPLE OF LADAKH
Terming today’s Buddha Purnima as “truly golden” occasion for the people of Ladakh said, “On this auspicious occasion, after 75 years, the arrival of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha here will inspire followers of Buddhism as well as other faiths.”
Shah said that much like in the life of Lord Buddha, it is rare for anyone to experience their birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana all occurring on the very same day; for this reason, today is a highly auspicious and inspiring day for all of us.
He said that today is not only a religious event but also a historic reunion. After so many years, Tathagata Buddha has returned to this sacred land, his most beloved land, which is a matter of great fortune.
He said that Ladakh has been a living land of Dhamma for centuries. When the Dalai Lama comes here, he says that this land is not merely geographical but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion.
The Union Home Minister said that knowledge has been preserved and nurtured on this land. “Whenever Buddhism faced challenges, this land worked to preserve Lord Buddha’s message. When peaceful times came, it also worked to further propagate that preserved and enriched knowledge,” he said, adding, “This path became the medium through which the teachings of Tathagata spread from India to China and many other countries.”
The Union Home Minister said that Ladakh’s spiritual identity has been shaped by four major traditions Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug. First, see things as they are. Second, the grace of the Guru and continuous self-reflection is the gateway to liberation. Third, knowledge is incomplete without practice, and practice is blind without knowledge; therefore, the union of knowledge and practice is the right path. Fourth, without moral discipline, a wise life cannot be formed.
He said that this message emerging from the land of Ladakh has become a guiding force for the world today. “Presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India’s civilization has been giving the message of peace and coexistence for thousands of years.”
He said that in places full of diversity like Ladakh and Kargil, this message becomes even more relevant. This heritage still tells us that amidst conflict and unrest, the path of peace and compassion alone can provide solutions.
Union Home Minister said that for centuries, Buddhism reached Ladakh in different ways and at different times, flourished here, and later spread beyond Ladakh.
He said that Ladakh was an ancient center of Kashmir’s Buddhist studies, Mahayana philosophy, and Buddhist art, and from there Ladakh first received contact, association, and spiritual engagement with Buddhism. The envoys of Emperor Ashoka laid the foundation of Buddhist influence in Ladakh.
Shah said that during the Kushan period, approximately between the 1st and 3rd centuries, the rise and development of Mahayana Buddhism reached Ladakh. Many ancient stupas, Buddhist idols, Kharosthi-Brahmi inscriptions are evidence that Buddhism progressed here during that period as well.
The Union Home Minister said that due to the Silk Route, the routes connecting Kashmir, Leh, Yarkand, Khotan, and Tibet became important not only for trade but also for the exchange of ideas.
He said that from 7th to 10th centuries, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions reached Ladakh from Tibet, enriching the message of Tathagata here. After this, a decisive contribution came in the 10th and 11th centuries when Sanskrit texts were translated into Tibetan. 108 monasteries were established, including the Alchi Monastery, and Buddhism was given an institutional and permanent form.
Shah said that even today, wherever there is a Buddhist tradition across the world, the knowledge enriched from Ladakh is considered very important. He said that Mahayana Buddhist literature states that having the opportunity to see the sacred relics is equivalent to having the darshan of Lord Buddha himself. Today, after such a long time, the people of Ladakh are getting the fortune of having darshan of Lord Buddha himself. The Home Minister urged the Ladakh administration to make full arrangements for followers of all faiths, especially Buddhism, to visit and have darshan.
He said that when Lord Buddha attained enlightenment and spread his teachings through monks, his knowledge was highly relevant, and today, after 2,500 years, it is even more relevant for the world.
Shah said that the entire world should understand and accept India’s knowledge and the great message of Lord Buddha, and move on the middle path and the path of solutions—(KNO)