Zanskar, Sep 15: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday hailed the enthusiastic participation of people in the Zanskar Festival, saying the event has emerged as an important platform to promote the region’s rich culture, local products and tourism potential.
Speaking to reporters after attending the festival in Zanskar, Saxena said thousands of tourists and visitors had participated in the event, while local products were also being showcased, bought and sold. He said such festivals were playing an important role in driving tourism across Ladakh.
The LG noted that the Zanskar Festival had, for the first time, been included in the official tourism calendar of Ladakh this year after Zanskar became a district. He said efforts would be made to expand the festival further in the coming years and establish it as a major event attracting visitors from across the country and abroad.
“Zanskar is a very beautiful valley,” Saxena said, highlighting its mountains, valleys and lakes. He said the region had immense tourism potential but had not yet received the exposure it deserved.
He said the administration would work towards promoting Zanskar as a major tourist destination where visitors from across the country and the world would want to come and experience its natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Saxena also congratulated the people of Zanskar for their participation in the festival and appreciated the artists who performed during the event, expressing hope that the festival would eventually gain recognition at the national and international level.
Speaking on development in Ladakh, the LG said infrastructure had witnessed significant expansion in recent years. He said the road network in Ladakh, which stood at around 1,700 kilometres in 2019, had increased to approximately 4,400 kilometres.
He also said tourist footfall in Ladakh had been witnessing a steady rise, claiming that tourist arrivals had increased by around 56 per cent in the previous month. According to him, the rise in tourism was also prompting further strengthening of infrastructure and facilities across the Union Territory.
Without directly naming anyone, Saxena said some people were attempting to pursue political objectives without adequately understanding Ladakh’s development needs. He maintained that political issues and development should be viewed separately and that no one should come in the way of the region’s development.
“The people of Ladakh are very innocent and very good. If anyone tries to mislead them, it is their mistake,” he said, adding that while political matters had their own place, development should remain separate from politics.
Saxena also expressed gratitude to the local administration and Tourism Department for inviting him to Zanskar, saying it was his first visit to the scenic valley and had provided him an opportunity to meet the local people and experience the region’s beauty.
He thanked the administration, particularly the Tourism Secretary, and acknowledged the presence of senior officials and guests, including the Chief Executive Officer of Kargil and other dignitaries.
