NEW DELHI, Dec 3: The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance met Union Minister Nityanand Rai here on Tuesday and discussed their demands for statehood, the Union Territory’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the region, sources said.
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The two organisations have also been demanding two Lok Sabha seats — one for Kargil and one for Leh. The Union Territory currently has just one Lok Sabha seat — Ladakh.
The meeting came after the centre assured Ladakhi activists led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who staged protests in Delhi after leading a march from Ladakh, of considering their demands.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have been demanding statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of the Union Territory in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the region for quite some time.
A government-appointed high-powered committee (HPC) for Ladakh headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai held talks with LAB and KDA to discuss their demands, sources said.
Ladakh was earlier part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Assembly had four representatives from the region.
The provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, were abrogated on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, Jammu and Kashmir has been made a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly and Ladakh a Union Territory without any Assembly.
The BJP-led Centre had assured a delegation from Ladakh in December last year that it was committed to fast-tracking the development of the Union Territory and meeting the aspirations of the people in the region.
The assurance was given at a meeting held with the HPC for Ladakh.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed the HPC for Ladakh under Union Minister Rai’s chairmanship to discuss the measures needed to protect the region’s unique culture and language, taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance.
The HPC has also been formed for the protection of land and employment, measures for inclusive development and employment generation in the region, measures related to the empowerment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil and constitutional safeguards that could be provided.
Several organisations of Ladakh were demanding a separate Union Territory for the region for decades and the demand was fulfilled on August 5, 2019.
In the recent past, the KDA and ABL protested at different locations, including highlighting the key demands.
In August, the Centre created five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The new districts were Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang.
Being a Union Territory, Ladakh comes under the direct administrative control of the Union home ministry.
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