Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 9: Government decision of according Divisional status to Ladakh has evoked a sense of apprehension among some leaders in the Congress and other political parties as they have treaded a caution over the development.
Former Minister and senior Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora has welcomed the announcement of Divisional status for Ladakh but reiterated that mere creation of Division will not help unless it is accompanied by creation of Directorates of all the departments.
“This, too, must be done in such a way that it does not end up creating dual power centre and that the two LAHDCs under no circumstances are undermined,” he added.
In this regard, Jora felt that his recommendations submitted some time back to the Governor and the Chief Secretary could be useful. He had recommended that Directorates so created must be brought under the superintendence and control of two LAHDCs. This could be done by separating the post of DC / CEO into two .While the DC would be looking after law and order the CEO who reports to the LAHDC must be of Secretary level officer, through whose instrument the LAHDCs could exercise control and superintendence over the Directors and hold them accountable.
“This would be in the interest of ensuring integration and harmony between the autonomous functioning of the LAHDCs and the new administrative set up that must follow the announcement,” Jora said and hoped that the Governor would go the whole hog and not leave the Ladakhis with a half- baked administrative division.
The District Congress Committee Leh, has also welcomed the Divisional status to Ladakhj but said that hyping it by the local BJP activists does not suit the overall interest of Ladakh and its UT cause as it sends a message that Ladakhis are palpable to alternate dispensation to UT demand.
“BJP is hyping the Divisional status as a damage control exercise and blowing it out of proportions for their pity political ends, which we condemn,” said the DCC Leh, in a statement, issued here today, adding that political preposition of LAHDC is far more bigger than Divisional status in all context and hyping too much of the divisional status is nothing other than to abstract political mileage out of it by BJP.
Pointing out that Divisional status with its headquarter at Leh recognizing the very geographical, cultural and historical back ground of Leh is a very thoughtful decision of the Governor which is being opposed by Kargil very vehemently, the DCC Leh said that the burden now lies on CEC, LAHDC, Leh Jamyang Tsering Namgial to defend this as a cause and to ensure it that the headquarter is retained with Leh unchanged.
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Prof Saifuddin Soz has conveyed his strongly objection over the Governor’s decision of according Divisional status to Ladakh without taking the region’s political class (both of Leh and Kargil) into confidence.
“It is basically wrong for him to think that he (the Governor) is an exact substitute for a duly elected Government in the State. I am sure Governor Malik has overlooked the implications of such an order. Ladakh region consists of two Sub-Regions- Leh and Kargil, with distinct ethnic, cultural and religious features. The Governor’s order will promote a sort of unrest in that region as he (the Governor) did not discuss this proposal with the political class of both regions in Ladakh,” Soz said in a statement, issued here today.
Stressing that the Governor is duty-bound to consult political parties of the State before taking such substantially important political decisions, Mr Soz added that the decision speaks of Satya Pal Malik’s inexperience of dealing with issues of this nature in a sensitive State like Jammu and Kashmir.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has alleged that sensitivities of both districts of Ladakh region were not taken into consideration while granting Divisional status.
“The demand of people of Ladakh region for creation of a separate Administrative/ Revenue Division was a legitimate concern of people of the both the districts Leh and Kargil and consensus could have been evolved but alas that has not been done. Consultations could have helped in removing mis-understanding and apprehensions among the ranks of the people of both the districts,” he said in a statement.
Recalling that the Chairman, Legislative Council had recently convened a meeting of the representatives of Ladakh Hill Development Council Kargil/Leh to discuss the issue of grant of Divisional status to Ladakh and the participants had unanimously agreed that the Division so created by the Government should l have equal distribution of the infrastructure and staff at both Leh and Kargil as per the convenience of the people of both the districts, Mr Tarigami lamented that unfortunately, the Governor led State Administrative Council (SAC) ignored such sensitivities of the region.
“We are afraid that this may lead to division among the population of both the districts. Ignoring the sensitivities is bound to create mistrust between both the districts instead of uniting them. The demand for rotational headquarter deserves to be considered seriously,” he added and questioned that why was the Governor in hurry to take the decision this time and not leave it to the elected Assembly where a credible mechanism could have been evolved?
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