Leh, May 1 (KNS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the number of days the strategic Zoji La pass remains closed has reduced significantly, underscoring the Centre’s focus on infrastructure development in Ladakh under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating and laying foundation stones for multiple dairy and cooperative initiatives in Ladakh, Shah said Zoji La, which used to remain shut for 127 days annually, was closed for only 19 days this year due to improved snow clearance and infrastructure. He added that the Kargil-Zanskar road, earlier closed for over 150 days, remained shut for just 11 days.
Shah said Ladakh has been a focus area since it became a Union Territory in 2019, with major expansion in road connectivity, bridges, mobile infrastructure and basic services. Road length has increased from 1,800 km to over 4,000 km, while the number of bridges has risen from 19 to 72, he said.
Highlighting economic initiatives, Shah said the foundation stone for a ?25 crore dairy plant with a capacity of 10,000 litres per day was laid in Kargil. He said the project is expected to support local livelihoods, particularly women, by enabling them to participate in dairy activities and supplement household incomes.
He also announced that a larger dairy plant with a capacity of 50,000 litres per day will be set up in Leh at a cost of ?Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel70 crore to expand processing capacity in the region. Shah said a mobile milk testing laboratory has also been launched to ensure quality, along with an Android-based application to help farmers track milk procurement and payments.
The minister said Ladakh’s milk producers will benefit from an agreement between the Ladakh Milk Federation and National Dairy Development Board, as well as tie-ups with Mother Dairy to access national markets.
He said around 1,700 milk producers across 28 villages have already been linked to cooperative networks, and efforts are underway to expand coverage. Plans are also in place to increase livestock numbers and introduce high-yield animal breeds suited to Ladakh’s climatic conditions.
Referring to national trends, Shah said India’s milk production has risen from 146 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 248 million tonnes in 2024-25, with cooperative societies playing a key role.
He added that the government aims to strengthen rural livelihoods in Ladakh through dairy, organic farming and other cooperative sectors, alongside continued infrastructure development in the border region.(KNS).