Backchannel diplomacy to evolve consensus before next meet
Row over EWS reservation, domicile; PSC issue resolved
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 21: Representatives of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have held two back-to-back backchannel meetings with representatives of the Union Territory of Ladakh in Jammu to evolve consensus on two issues including reservation in jobs and recruitment of Gazetted officers before convening meeting of either Sub Committee or High Powered Committee in New Delhi to make announcements.
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Reliable sources told the Excelsior that a senior officer of the MHA dealing with Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and two senior officers of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) met with limited representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in Jammu twice and discussed with them twin issues pertaining to reservation and recruitment of Gazetted officers.
Two representatives from LAB including Chering Dorjay Lakruk and Nawang Rigzin Jora and four members from KDA attended the meetings, both of which were held in Jammu.
“The reservation issue has been stuck on fixation of term for domicile and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The LAB and KDA reportedly want Sikkim like conditions for domicile where people living prior to 1967 are considered as domiciles while the MHA reportedly suggested Jammu and Kashmir model where those putting up for 15 years are eligible for domicile certificates,’’ the sources said.
On the issue of EWS reservation, the LAB and KDA leaders were of the view that there is very limited population in the Union Territory of Ladakh which falls in this category and granting them 10 percent reservation will be “too much’’. They have suggested reduction in EWS reservation to three percent.
The MHA representatives were reported to have briefed the Ladakhi leaders that EWS reservation is Constitutional binding.
Five percent reservation has been proposed by the MHA for domiciles.
On the recruitment of Gazetted officers which has been stalled since Ladakh was made the Union Territory on August 5, 2019, the MHA has proposed recruitment of doctors and engineers through Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) and Administrative Services by Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Commission (JKPSC).
“The MHA proposal on PSC is almost acceptable to the LAB and KDA but they want process of recruitment to be expedited,’’ the sources said.
Once the issues of reservation and recruitment of Gazetted officers are resolved through backchannel talks, the MHA is expected to convene a meeting of either Sub Committee or High Powered Committee on Ladakh in New Delhi to make announcements.
However, there has been no headway on two other demands of LAB and KDA including grant of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh. The MHA has already briefed the Ladakh representatives that their another demand for two Parliamentary seats instead of one can be taken up only after delimitation which is freezed since 2026 is resumed with setting up of the Commission.
Last meeting of LAB and KDA leaders with the MHA was held on January 15 this year and next meeting was proposed for February 15. However, no meeting was convened after January 15 as the MHA wanted to evolve consensus before holding next round of talks resulting into backchannel diplomacy.
Since Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, no Gazetted cadre recruitments have been made in the absence of a PSC. There has been a demand from almost all bodies of Ladakh for age relaxation in the recruitments due to prolonged delay in advertisement of vacancies. The age relaxation demand is likely to be conceded by the UT administration, the sources said.
On 95 percent reservations for locals, 80 percent will go to STs, 4 percent to Actual Line of Control (ALC), 10 per cent to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), one percent to SCs and five percent to others but they too will be domiciles of Ladakh. However, no such order has been issued so far despite a decision taken in the meeting earlier.
It was also decided in January 15 meeting that a blueprint for domicile will be ready within the next few days. The non-gazetted recruitments in Ladakh UT were conducted on the basis of LRC (Ladakh Resident Certificate), which was replica of State Subject used in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir of which Ladakh was third division besides Jammu and Kashmir.
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