Principal Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar reviews Community Radio; Construction Supervision for State Data Centre

Leh, June 10: Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department/IT Dept Ladakh, Sanjeev Khirwar chaired a meeting to review Community Radio and Construction Supervision for State Data Centre issues.

At the outset, AGM, Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) Khushwinder Singh informed the Principal Secretary about the progress of the project. He stated that in phase 1 of the project execution, 8 out of 9 schools have received the Letter of Intent from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The 8 schools have also been allocated specific frequencies for broadcasting. Currently, these schools are in the process of obtaining a Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA) clearance from the Ministry, which is necessary for the project to proceed.

Singh further informed that Govt High School Sapi, Kargil has been rejected as the frequency was not available for that area. The Principal Secretary instructed him to identify the alternate application process for the same. In the second phase, applications from 13 schools have been submitted to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the issuance of a Letter of Intent. In this regard, Khirwar instructed the Director of the School Education department to identify and process the remaining 07 locations in a week’s time.

Khirwar instructed the BECIL team to submit a comprehensive template of the project so that the monitoring can be done easily mentioning the timelines of each milestone for all the locations. The Chair also instructed the BECIL team to visit the sites identified for the construction of the Studio in Leh and Kargil by next week with the officials of the School Education Department and IT Department, UT Ladakh.

Speaking on the significance of Community Radio, Principal Secretary Khirwar emphasized the continued relevance of Community Radio in serving localized platforms for community engagement, enabling the sharing of diverse voices and promoting inclusivity. Khirwar stressed its role in reaching marginalized groups, fostering democratic participation, and preserving cultural heritage. Principal Secretary Khirwar also emphasized the importance of Community Radio as a lifeline during emergencies and its ability to offer specialized/niche programming often overlooked by mainstream media. He called for a comprehensive promotion of Community Radio across all segments of society, recognizing its potential for community empowerment and connectivity.

In another meeting, Principal Secretary Khirwar reviewed the progress of works assigned to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for a Detailed Project Report and Construction Supervision for the State Data Centre at Leh. The agency headed by Sh. Mittal briefed the chair regarding the project. The Chair was also informed of the status and delays of the project. CPWD informed the Principal Secretary that the construction of the first floor is underway. The Principal Secretary instructed CPWD and vendor representatives to complete the construction work by 15th August.

The Principal Secretary asked the CPWD and vendor representatives to submit the detailed work schedule in two days, considering the work completion date of 15^th August 2023. In the meeting, it was decided that a review meeting will be done every 10 days for the monitoring of the work of the State Data Centre, Leh. Khirwar also instructed CPWD to complete the electric installation of the State Data Centre parallel to the construction of the building.

The meeting for Community Radio was also attended by Tsering Paldan, Director, School Education Department, UT Ladakh; Chief Education Officer, Leh; Chief Education Officer Kargil; IT Consultant, IT Department, UT Ladakh; IT Manager (Stanzin Angmo) IT Department UT Ladakh; Nodal Officer, Community Radio, School Education Department, UT Ladakh. The meeting for Construction Supervision for State Data Centre, UT Ladakh was attended by Abdul Majid Tantray, Deputy Secretary, IT Department; EE, CPWD; Nitish Kumar, AEE, CPWD; Anil Vashishth, AE, CPWD; Kumar Amit, IT Consultant, IT Department; Sajad Hussain, IT Manager IT Department; Sh Mittal, Owner and Agency Representative (Mangala Amit Builder) and other concerned officials.