Want control of maximum Deptts with Councils
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 20: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have submitted a comprehensive document to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as sought by the Ministry deleting certain provisions of Sixth Schedule and giving example of North Eastern States like Sikkim for seeking full-fledged Statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Through the document which was submitted virtually by LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang and KDA chairperson Qamar Ali Akhoon, the two organizations have also listed a series of departments whose control should be vested with Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil.
Besides separate Public Services Commission (PSC), the LAB and KDA have also sought the High Court bench of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh HC for Ladakh. They, however, demanded that only Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) holders should be eligible for the PSC posts.
As per some of the details of joint representation submitted by the LAB and KDA to the Union Home Ministry, which have been accessed by the Excelsior, the twin bodies have sought transfer of control of several departments to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC), Leh and Kargil.
“This will empower the Councils,” they said.
The joint representation has deleted a number of provisions of Sixth Schedule which had no relevance for the Union Territory of Ladakh. Only those provisions of Sixth Schedule which are relevant for Ladakh have been mentioned in the representation and their implementation has been sought by the two bodies.
As far as the Statehood to Ladakh is concerned, the inside details revealed that the LAB and KDA have mentioned the case of some North Eastern States including Sikkim whose population is almost equal to Ladakh and they have been given Statehood with 30-member Legislative Assembly.
The twin bodies have also quoted a series of other instances in support of their claim for grant of Statehood to Ladakh. They have quoted in detail the population and voters of some North Eastern States to justify their demand for Statehood.
Focus of the joint representation by the twin bodies remained on four core issues including Statehood, Sixth Schedule, two Lok Sabha seats and setting up of PSC with job opportunities.
Initially, there were two opinions among LAB and KDA on submission of joint representation to the MHA. However, the MHA said they wanted to study the points raised by the two bodies before convening next meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC). In view of this, the two bodies submitted the representation virtually to the MHA.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai who heads the HPC is expected to call meeting in first week of February to take a call on issues listed by the two bodies besides the demands which have been raised by some other organizations including grant of districts to Nubra and Zanskar besides creation of few other administrative units.
An announcement on addressing some of the issues of Ladakh can be made by the Union Home Ministry in February well before the imposition of Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections in first week of March.
Sources said the MHA could make some announcements including safeguards for land, culture, identity etc. However, possibility of Statehood has been ruled out. As far as another demand of the two bodies regarding two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh instead of present one is concerned, it can be done only after 2026 as delimitation of constituencies has been freezed till then. On job opportunities and Public Services Commission (PSC) demand, all such issues are on top priority, the sources said.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP is not part of LAB and KDA though its Lok Sabha member from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgayal is member of the High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Nityanand Rai. CEC-cum-Chairperson Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council Tashi Gyalson is also a BJP leader, who too is part of the HPC.
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