Jammu,India,March 06 (Scoop News) – Dr Farooq Abdullah, Union minister for new & renewable energy today said that the Ladakh region will be one of the first areas in India to benefit from Centre’s allocation for renewable energy towards improving energy supply through the Rs 500 crore for small hydro, solar and micro power projects in Ladakh.He said the fact that Ladakh is a highly inaccessible region and high altitude terrain, the Centre government is trying a lot for the development of this cold desert.
Dr Farooq while informing this at a book release function organized by The Vijay Suri Foundation, J&K, in collaboration with J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, at Kala Kendra,Jammu.
On the occassion, Dr Abdullah said Ladakh is a remote region but the efforts are on for its development. He said Dewan has been a great traveler and a writer and his book on Tibet is a great contribution to the literary world. Regarding “Turtuk Unveiled,” he said Turtuk, one of the remotest regions of Ladakh inhabited by tribal community of Baltis, has come a long way since 1971. He said he has visited this region numerous times in the past, many times as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, with the then 14 Corps Commander Lt. General(retd) Arjun Ray, and at other times also.
“Every time I visited the area since 1976 onwards, I could see a visible change when compared how it was in 1971. No doubt, much more needs to be done – in terms of providing the communication network, development etc but there are positive signs too. The students from the region, government servants and medical people are going in and out of the Turtuk region,” he said.
Saying that he has known Dr Kavita Suri from her days as a dynamic journalist working in conflict-hit Jammu and Kashmir for years, Dr Abdullah said she is one of those few persons in the print and electronic media to have visited this region repeatedly over a period of time. “Her transition into an academic now, provides the necessary tools to understand and project the modern day questions relating to Turtuk. He said Kavita’s book “Turtuk Unveiled” is a beautiful endeavour to present Turtuk before the entire world through its history, geography, culture, heritage and all other related aspects.
He hoped “Turtuk Unveiled” would be an important research work keeping in view the fact that no such work has been undertaken on Turtuk in the past. This is the first ever book written on the Turtuk region and the tribal community of Baltis who inhabit the craggy heights. The photo exhibition will remain open from 11 am to 6 pm on 6-8th March 2010.
Earlier Farooq released two books "Tibet: Fifty years after" by Parvez Dewan, senior IAS officer and "Turtuk Unveiled" by Dr. Kavita Suri, Associate Professor and journalist. Devinder Rana, advisor to chief minister, Aslam Goni, Zafar Iqbal Mahas, Secretary, JKAACL, Sudhashu Pandey, Financial Advisor, Manoj Diwedi, DC Jammu, Mohd Shafi Pandit, former PSC chairman, MM Khajooria, Sanjay Arya of Shubhi Publications, Mehboob Rana,Director Social Welfare and a number of prominent citizens were present at the occasion. A photo-exhibition of the Ladakh photographs taken by Dr Kavita Suri was also inaugurated by Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas welcomed Dr Abdullah and other guests. Dr Javed Rahi, Chief Editor of academy anchored the programme.