Meets LG, UT Admn, Hill Councils’ Reps
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai today visited forward posts of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the Eastern Ladakh to review situation along China frontiers. He also met Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur, top officials of the Ladakh Union Territory Administration and representatives of the Hill Development Councils.
Rai was in Leh for past four days and returned to New Delhi this evening.
Sources told the Excelsior that Rai visited forward posts manned by the ITBP along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to review situation prevailing there in view of over an year-long standoff between Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China. While disengagement by two countries has taken place at some of the points, the troops remained engaged in other areas.
“Senior ITBP officers briefed the Minister of State for Home on the situation,” sources said.
Rai also ascertained about requirements of the ITBP personnel deployed in hilly terrain in the Eastern Ladakh.
Only a day before, Minister of State for Defence AK Bhatt had visited the LAC in Eastern Ladakh to review prevailing situation. He was also briefed by the Army Commanders including General Officer Commanding (GOC) Leh-based 14 Corps Lt Gen PGK Menon on the situation. The MoS Defence had visited Drass in Kargil to pay tributes to the martyrs at Kargil War Memorial. He had also reviewed situation prevailing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and hinterland with the top Army Commanders in the Valley.
The MoS Home also had detailed interaction with Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur on host of issues in the Union Territory of Ladakh reportedly on the demands raised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
“Development of Ladakh especially work on various infrastructure projects was also discussed,” sources said.
During his visit, Nityanand Rai also met top officers of the Union Territory administration and representatives of the Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils to ascertain their issues.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Home Ministry is in the process of defining Rules for Permanent Residentship of Ladakh which will be mandatory for recruitment in the Government services in the Union Territory. The recruitment has been halted for the past two years since Ladakh was made the Union Territory and this was one of the major demand raised by the LAB and KDA during their joint meeting with Rai on Saturday. Besides Rules for purchase of land are also awaited.
However, the LAB and KDA have been demanding full-fledged Statehood for Ladakh, status at par with Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, two Parliamentary seats and other protections. They had also given call for bandh in Ladakh on Saturday as initially Rai hadn’t invited the two bodies for talks in Leh. The invitation was extended after the bandh call and telephonic call by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to LAB chief Thupstan Chhewang.
After the talks, Rai had announced that a high-powered Committee will be set up very soon for talks with the LAB and KDA representatives. The Committee will comprise five representatives of LAB, four more KDA, Ministry of Home Affairs and UT Ladakh officials among others.
Rai had participated in the Parliamentary Outreach Programme in Leh on August 27 which was also attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, other Union Ministers, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and Members of Parliament among others.
The LAB and KDA representatives had expressed hope that there will be a headway in acceptance of their demands once the Union Home Ministry sets up the high-power Panel for dialogue with them.
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