Winter-friendly houses being constructed in border villages of Ladakh: L-G Mishra

Ladakh Lt Governor Brigadier (retd) B D Mishra has said his administration is working on a plan to provide winter-friendly houses to people living in border villages of the Union Territory.

The administration is also committed to the promotion, preservation and improvement of production of Pashmina along with reducing mortality of Pashmina goat kids in Ladakh, he said.

"Winter-friendly houses are being constructed in border villages of Ladakh for the benefit of people of those areas," the Lt Governor said at a meeting with a group of goat herders from Nyoma and Durbuk sub-divisions at the Raj Niwas.

The meeting, which was also attended by senior government officials on Saturday, was convened to discuss prototypes for Pashmina kid pens, an official spokesman said.

He said the villagers raised several issues, including instances of malnutrition in goats, need to arrange fodder for winter months, vaccination, installation of mobile towers to improve telecommunication connectivity and steps to address electricity issues.

The Lt Governor under the slogan of "Memna Bachao, Memna Badhao" (save lambs, promote lambs) called for protection of Pashmina goat kids from hypothermia, providing adequate nutritious feed to overcome malnutrition in Pashmina goat kids, overcoming occurrences of stampede or overcrowding in pens and providing vaccination to livestock to reduce in mortality of Pashmina goat kids.

Mishra assured that his administration will look into the issue of improving telecommunication facilities in remote areas and take up the matter with the central government.

He said a medical inspection and medical support team comprising doctors can conduct camps in remote areas and provide medical assistance, including vaccination to livestock.

Mishra said a policy needs to be framed before putting restrictions on the import of meat from states outside Ladakh.

The villagers had also raised the need for proper marketing for sale of local meat for consumption, the spokesman said.

The Lt Governor said the sale of frozen meat should be stopped, assuring that he will talk to the army for the supply of fresh meat for their consumption.