PM Modi Likely to Inaugurate Leh Airport Terminal in April | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Leh in April to inaugurate the new terminal building of Leh Airport along with a set of key strategic and civilian infrastructure projects in the Union Territory of Ladakh, according to official sources.

The airport terminal, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister on February 3, 2019, is expected to be completed by April, marking a major upgrade in air connectivity to the high-altitude region.

Sources said work on the new terminal is progressing at a pace, even as Leh Airport continues to function normally, handling commercial flights without disruption. The upcoming terminal has been designed as a modern, high-capacity facility with 20 check-in counters, centralised heating and cooling systems, and the ability to handle around 1,000 passengers each in arrivals and departures. It is also being positioned as a model for sustainable aviation, with plans to run on a hybrid of geothermal and solar power, significantly reducing carbon emissions.

The inauguration is expected to coincide with the completion of several other infrastructure projects in Ladakh, including roads, tunnels and highways, which the government has said are crucial both for defence preparedness along the Line of Actual Control with China and for boosting tourism and civilian mobility.

Ahead of the proposed visit, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta met Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi and briefed him on the overall development scenario in the Union Territory. Officials said the discussions covered major infrastructure projects, welfare schemes, road and air connectivity, healthcare and education in remote and border areas, and initiatives aimed at sustainable tourism and livelihood generation for local youth. The Prime Minister was said to have appreciated the administration’s focus on inclusive growth and reiterated the Centre’s continued support for Ladakh’s development.

Parallel to these developments, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has been examining an alternative governance proposal for Ladakh following the announcement of five new districts—Sham, Nubra and Changthang in Leh, and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil. While the New District Committee had recommended separate Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for each of the seven districts, officials said an alternate proposal under consideration is the creation of Territorial Councils for the original Leh and Kargil districts to maintain the status quo.

Under this proposal, the Territorial Council of Leh would exercise authority over Leh, Sham, Nubra and Changthang, while the Kargil Territorial Council would cover Kargil, Zanskar and Drass. Officials said amendments to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1997, have already been examined to accommodate either option. Formal notification of the new districts is expected after approval of financial allocations and sanction of posts, following which administrative units such as tehsils and patwar halqas would be created. However, officials acknowledged that making the new districts fully functional could take time due to infrastructure and staffing requirements.

Amid these administrative deliberations, political mobilisation in Ladakh has intensified. As leaders await a fresh round of talks with the Centre on demands including statehood and Sixth Schedule status, the Leh Apex Body has appealed to local political parties to dissolve their district units and unite under its banner for what it described as a collective struggle. The Aam Aadmi Party’s Leh unit has become the first to respond, announcing its decision to dissolve its unit subject to all parties doing so simultaneously, while reiterating that the demand for Sixth Schedule inclusion should not be compromised.

The Apex Body’s move comes against the backdrop of delays in convening the next round of talks with the Home Ministry, after subcommittee-level discussions and submission of a draft proposal in October. It also coincides with the emergence of a new group, the “Voice of Buddhist Ladakh”, which has opposed the demand for statehood, arguing it could marginalise the Buddhist community. The Leh Apex Body has dismissed the new outfit, alleging it was formed to weaken its position ahead of negotiations.

Together, the impending inauguration of major infrastructure projects, uncertainty over Ladakh’s administrative reorganisation, and renewed political churn underline a critical phase for the Union Territory as it balances development, governance reforms and competing political aspirations.