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Tuesday 1 December 2009

China Objects To Road Construction In Ladakh


The ongoing road work project at Demchok in south-east Leh in Ladakh under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been stopped after objections were raised by China.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has mentioned that a 8-km road was being developed under NREGS so that connectivity improves along with carving job opportunists for the localities. “We had already constructed 4 km of road when the Chinese came and asked to stop the work. We have stopped work on the road. The road was being built between the T-point and CNN-point. We have already informed the Government of India about it.”

He said the road was being constructed for the local population. “It is an inhabited area and the local villagers were building the road under the NREGS.”

According to sources the report regarding the work has been submitted before the government by Leh Deputy Commissioner Ajit Kumar Sahu.

 “There is a nallah which is the Line of Actual Control in the area and the Chinese are so close that we can talk to them. They constructed a very good parallel road on their side, we didn’t object to that. We have a hot spring on our side where we have started a hydro-therapy centre. Villagers had been demanding a road ahead, all on our side,” said Chering Dorjay, Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

“The road was planned under the NREGS. While construction was on, the Chinese shouted at the villagers, asking them to stop work immediately. They (the Chinese) didn’t cross the nallah but they could have easily done that. We must have built three-four kilometres when they stopped our work.”

The information regarding stopping of the work was passed on to Ladakh MP Hassan Khan by village head Tangey Tsering. “I met a few villagers who informed me about this development. Then I received the phone call ten days ago,” he said.