Ladakh: The newly elected Chief Representative Officer (CRO) of Ladakh Sonamling Settlement, Tashi Dhondup, officially took charge of the office on 1 February 2025 and thereafter paid courtesy visit to meet key officials in the Union Territory of Ladakh, including the Advocate Tashi Gyalson, Honourable Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh; Shri Tsering Angchuk, Honourable Deputy Chairman of LAHDC Leh; Shri Tashi Namgyal Yakzee, Honourable Executive Councillor for RDD/Tibetan Welfare, LAHDC Leh; Shri Ghulam Mehdi, Honourable Executive Councillor for Minority Affairs, LAHDC Leh; Dr Pawan Kotwal, Chief Secretary/Advisor to Honourable Lt. Governor of Ladakh, (IAS); Dr S.D Singh Jamwal (IPS), DGP Ladakh Police; Shri Santosh Sukhadeve (IAS), District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner/CEO LAHDC Leh; Shruti Arora (IPS), Senior Superintendent of Police, Leh; Shri Altaf Ahmad Shah (IPS), SSP Traffic UT-Ladakh; Shri Tushar Anand (IAS), Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Nyoma; Dr. Tashi Thinles, Director Health Services Ladakh; Shri. Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, President of Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA); Shri Sonam Parvez, President of Christian Association Ladakh; Shri Jigmet Rafstan, LBA Youth Wing President; Representative of All Ladakh Gonpa Association and various other esteemed officials. 

CRO Tashi Dhondup briefed the officials about the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) official announcement of the “Year of Compassion” in honour of the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He highlighted plans to organise various events and programs in Leh and Jangthang. The concerned officials assured their full support and cooperation in facilitating these initiatives as per the schedule.  

During an official meeting with the Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Leh, CRO Tashi Dhondup along with Pema Sangpo, Local Tibetan Justice Commissioner, and Lobsang Nyendak, Deputy Speaker of Local Tibetan Ladakh Assembly expressed utmost gratitude to the LAHDC Leh for appointing a dedicated portfolio to oversee the welfare of the Tibetan community in Ladakh. Currently, this responsibility has been assigned to Shri Tashi Namgyal Yakzee, who also looks after the Rural Development and Animal & Sheep Husbandry Departments of LAHDC Leh. 

CRO Tashi Dhondup also called upon the Chief Secretary/Advisor to the Lt. Governor of Ladakh, seeking support for key developmental issues concerning the Tibetan community. The Chief Secretary assured his continued assistance in addressing their needs. 

During all the key introductory meetings, CRO Tashi Dhondup expressed his heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the Tibetan community for the unwavering support and assistance provided by the Government of India, particularly by the Ladakh UT Administration and the LAHDC Leh towards the welfare and upliftment of the Tibetan settlements in the region. He also sought continued support towards crucial developmental initiatives including major infrastructure improvements, blacktopping of roads, land-mapping, waste management, and documentation processes, etc., for which the officials reassured that any challenges faced by Tibetan settlements would be timely addressed. 

The Ladakh UT Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and various NGOs of Ladakh have always been supporting the Tibetan community in Leh as well as in the Jangthang region, especially towards Tibet’s causes within various capacities.  

-Report filed by Ladakh Sonamling Settlement Office