Leh, April 15: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena handed over renewed lease deeds to 79 residents of Housing Colony at a function held at the District Panchayat Resource Centre, Agling, marking a major step towards securing housing rights in Ladakh.
The long-pending renewal of lease deeds will provide legal ownership and tenure security to residents, enabling access to banking services such as loans, facilitating property transactions and allowing sale of land at fair market value. The first phase benefits 79 families.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor termed the occasion historic, stating that legal documentation would ensure security, peace of mind and financial empowerment. He underlined that homes reflect the aspirations and hard work of families and that legally valid ownership is essential for their stability.
Highlighting alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Housing for All” and improved ease of living, he said the initiative is particularly significant in Ladakh’s challenging terrain, ensuring secure housing rights and access to services.
He informed that special camps were organised to fast-track pending cases under the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Act, 1960, ensuring legal validity of the process.
Reaffirming the Administration’s commitment to transparent governance, he said similar camps will be held to clear all pending cases and ensure no genuine beneficiary is left behind.
Nambardar of Housing Colony, Stazin Otsal, thanked the administration for resolving a decades-old issue, noting that residents since 1975 had been unable to access loans or sell land due to expired lease deeds.
Nambardar of Ibex Colony, Sonam Rigzin, highlighted that nearly 1,000 households reside in the colony, many of them Army veterans, and urged the administration to address their land-related issues.
