Ladakh [India], November 21 (ANI): Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday reviewed the working of the power and housing departments of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh at Leh. The Union minister is on a three-day visit to the UT, the ministry said in a release.

As per the ministry release, during the meeting, Union Minister Khattar was given a detailed overview of the working of the concerned departments and was appraised of their achievements by concerned officials. The Minister expressed satisfaction at the working of the departments and assured of all possible help in overcoming shortcomings and difficulties being faced by the departments here owing to the tough terrain of the region.

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Talking to the media after the meeting, the Union Minister said that Ladakh aims to achieve 100 per cent processing of waste material and a detailed report of the project was presented to him today. He added that the Ministry is keen to improve the working conditions of 'Safai Mitras' so that they do not face any occupational hazards while performing their duties.

The Minister has instructed that under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for water supply and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) projects in the regions of Leh and Kargil should be finalized at the earliest. The timely preparation and approval of the DPRs will ensure the smooth implementation of these vital projects, which will contribute to the overall development and quality of life in both Leh and Kargil.

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He said that the Ministry will ensure that no person remains homeless in Ladakh and said that a survey of all homeless people would be conducted in the UT so that they can avail benefits of PM Awas Yojana. He added that financial assistance has been provided to all street vendors under the PM Swanidhi scheme and all efforts will be made to ensure that no one is left out.

He also said that Ladakh has a huge potential for the development of solar power owing to its huge area. He informed reporters that work is in progress for setting up a 13 GW solar power plant in the UT which will not only meet local requirements but also help solve energy needs of other parts of the country.

Referring to challenges faced by the Power department during the winter season, the Minister said that additional demands of power from the UT are being met from the Government of India's excess quota to ensure that there is an uninterrupted supply of power during the harsh winter months.

He added that all efforts will be made to address manpower issues of the Power department at the earliest.

Talking about the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme of the UT, the Minister said that works to the tune of Rs 1,080 crore has already been awarded and the activities have started.

Manohar Lal said that power supply and distribution lines up to Nubra Valley and Zanskar Valley will be set up expeditiously, which will prove to be of great help in meeting the energy requirements of the two regions.

He added that all efforts are being made on war footing to remove the bottlenecks associated with the projects. (ANI)

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