Leh: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday hosted nearly 200 ‘Numberdars’ (village heads) at the Lok Niwas here, providing a direct platform for grassroots representatives to raise public grievances and highlight developmental issues, in an initiative aimed at strengthening participatory governance in Ladakh.
Addressing the gathering, Saxena said such free-flow interactions would continue in the future, which would enable the administration to benefit from their first-hand knowledge of local conditions, understand the developmental needs of different villages, and take appropriate action to address public concerns.
He said that numberdars are the most important link between the administration and the people, as they remain closely connected with their communities and understand their problems, aspirations and requirements.
The lieutenant governor, while acknowledging their contribution to grassroots governance, appreciated their crucial role in extending government welfare initiatives to the people and establishing a stronger channel of communication to ensure that public grievances and developmental issues are identified and resolved effectively.
During the interaction, President of the All Ladakh Goba Association, Nawang Tsering expressed gratitude to the lieutenant governor on behalf of the numberdars for enhancing their monthly emoluments from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000, benefiting 247 numberdars across the union territory.
The numberdars also told Saxena that dozens of villages in Ladakh were facing an acute water crisis and requested his intervention to address the issue.
The lieutenant governor assured them that their concerns would be addressed on priority.
Saxena recalled that during his visits to different parts of Ladakh, he found that numberdars of the respective areas, who were his first point of contact, possess valuable information about local problems and developmental priorities.
He said it was on their valuable suggestions that critical projects like Him Sarovar, Rock Check Dams, reversing land degradation, diversion of untapped glacier streams and several other policy decisions were implemented effectively.
Their inputs, Saxena noted, would help the administration identify gaps in public service delivery and prioritise interventions based on the actual requirements of the people.
He urged them to continue bringing matters concerning water availability, land protection, environmental conservation, employment and livelihood opportunities to the administration’s attention.
Assuring the numberdars of his continued support, Saxena said the Lok Niwas would always remain open to them so that issues concerning the people could be brought forward and resolved through appropriate administrative intervention.
He said the enhancement of monthly emoluments was not merely a measure of financial support but also an acknowledgement of their important role in strengthening participatory governance and ensuring effective last-mile delivery of public services.
He expressed confidence that their continued cooperation would further strengthen the relationship between the administration and local communities.
