Leh, May 1: In a major push to enhance the business ecosystem in the Union Territory of Ladakh, Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal Friday advocated regulatory reforms while charting out a roadmap aimed at accelerating the economic activities in the region.
Dr Kotwal chaired a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat, Leh, to review progress on compliance reduction and deregulation under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework. The meeting featured a detailed power point presentation by Administrative Secretary UT Ladakh Bhupesh Chaudhary, outlining the priority areas, sector-specific challenges and a roadmap aimed at simplifying regulations and accelerating economic activities.
In his address, Dr. Kotwal stressed the urgent need to modernise, digitise and streamline regulatory mechanisms to make Ladakh a more business-friendly and citizen-centric territory. He emphasised adherence to existing building laws and called for the adoption of Building Operation Controlling Authority (BOCA) guidelines and the Panchayati Raj Act for transparent and uniform development practices.
To strengthen governance and ensure smooth implementation, Dr. Kotwal proposed the formation of a dedicated deregulation committee to oversee land laws, building regulations and related frameworks. He directed the Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Leh to prepare a Change of Land Use (CLU) proposal for submission to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor for approval.
A major highlight of the meeting was the directive to launch a unified online portal to simplify and digitize public service delivery. Dr. Kotwal instructed that the services covered under the Public Services Guarantee Act be brought under the EoDB umbrella, with departments given a strict 10-day deadline to operationalize the portal and minimize checklist requirements for various approvals.
The meeting saw participation from Principal Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar, Administrative Secretaries Bhupesh Chaudhary and Shashanka Ala, Additional Secretary Shashi Kant Bhagat, Chief Conservator of Forests Sajjad Hussain Mufti, Chief Engineer LPDD Tsewang Paljor, SIO NIC Ladakh, OSDs, and representatives from the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) of the Tourism Department, among others. The move is part of the UT Administration’s broader strategy to position Ladakh as an investor-friendly destination while ensuring efficient governance and sustainable development.
