Chief Secretary chairs 7th Board of Directors Meeting of SIDCO, Reviews Industrial Development and Revenue Initiatives
Leh, August 7, 2026: Chief Secretary, UT Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, chaired the 7th meeting of the Board of Directors of SIDCO Ladakh to review the functioning of the corporation, industrial development initiatives, transport operations, revenue generation and various proposals placed before the Board.
At the outset, Managing Director, SIDCO, Himanshu Gupta, gave a detailed presentation on the functioning of SIDCO, composition of the Board of Directors, staffing position, equity shareholding, SIDCO transport and agenda items including the proposed One-Time Settlement (OTS) Scheme for industrial plot/unit holders, corpus grant-in-aid, deployment and utilisation of SIDCO vehicles, opening of four new petrol pumps with wayside amenities and EV charging facilities at Zanskar, Nyoma, Kargil and Leh, proposed SIDCO SFC/NBFC, unified recruitment rules, audited balance sheet for 2024-25, construction of Government buildings on deposit-work basis, operation and maintenance of defunct Government buildings and district land allotment matters.
Reviewing the proposals, the Chief Secretary sought a comprehensive assessment of all industrial estates, including land availability, infrastructure, utilisation, occupancy and revenue potential. He directed SIDCO to prepare location-specific action plans with clear estimates, expenditure details, timelines and measurable outcomes. He also stressed the need to identify sustainable revenue-generation opportunities beyond conventional activities and sought details of investment, location and projected revenue from the proposed petrol pumps.
The financial performance of SIDCO, including year-wise revenue, expenditure, cost of operations and audited accounts, was also reviewed. The Chief Secretary emphasised financial sustainability and directed the management to identify areas for improving revenue and optimising expenditure.
Reviewing SIDCO’s role in promoting entrepreneurship and facilitating access to finance, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for wider publicity of available loan and entrepreneurship schemes. He directed that a digital framework be developed to provide entrepreneurs with information on schemes, eligibility and application procedures. He also called for documenting successful beneficiaries as case studies to create greater awareness and encourage more entrepreneurs to avail financial assistance.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the status of SIDCO transport operations, including buses, routes, revenue, expenditure and long-distance services. He directed SIDCO to assess their commercial viability and explore technology-based facilities such as online route information and advance booking. The feasibility of expanding inter-district and inter-regional connectivity through suitable public-private operating models was also discussed.
He further directed SIDCO to explore the potential of industrial estates for generating employment and revenue through specialised clusters in sectors such as horticulture, agro-processing and weaving, along with Common Facility Centres to provide shared infrastructure, machinery, finishing and other facilities to entrepreneurs.
Emphasising efficient utilisation of industrial land, the Chief Secretary directed SIDCO to create a digital database of industrial estates, covering plots, allotments, occupancy, land use, infrastructure and availability. He stressed that vacant industrial plots should be identified and, wherever permissible, allotted through transparent mechanisms including e-auction to ensure optimum utilisation of land.
The Chief Secretary also suggested exploring additional revenue streams through leasing of suitable infrastructure and utility services, including optical fibre and power-related infrastructure, wherever technically and legally feasible. He directed SIDCO to develop a long-term strategy to strengthen the corporation as a financially sustainable institution supporting industrial growth, entrepreneurship, infrastructure development and employment generation in Ladakh.
The meeting was attended by Managing Director, SIDCO, Himanshu Gupta; Secretary, PWD, Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary; Finance Secretary, Tsewang Tharchin, IA&AS; Managing Director, Sonam Norbu; Executive Director, Tashi Mangyal; Executive Engineer and other senior officers of SIDCO and concerned departments.
