The Centre will develop Leh and Kargil as smart cities in the newly-formed union territory of Ladakh. Working on a home ministry proposal to improve infrastructure and generate job opportunities in Ladakh, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has formed a five-member team under Smart Cities director Rahul Kapoor to guide the union territory in formulating detailed projects reports for both the cities.
The move is part of the Centre’s initiative to develop Jammu & Kashmir as well as Ladakh – the two union territories formed after the state was bifurcated in October 2019.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, the Smart City Mission includes 100 cities that were selected through a competitive process, which involved presenting an urban infrastructure upgrade plan.
