Proposal for more units under consideration
*Announcement likely before LS elections
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 9: Besides strengthening of two Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, the Union Home Ministry and the Ladakh Administration are also likely to concede long pending demand for creation of two more districts in the Union Territory and some administrative units, if found feasible taking into account area and population.
To counter the demand for Statehood to Ladakh which is being raised vociferously by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the MHA and UT administration have been exploring various options and safeguards to Ladakh through twin Hill Councils, as reported earlier.
“Taking into account local sentiments, the demand for creation of Nubra and Zanskar as two more districts in Ladakh are under active consideration of the Union Home Ministry and Ladakh administration,” sources told the Excelsior.
However, a formal announcement may well be made a couple of months ahead of Lok Sabha elections which are due in April-May next year, they said.
In fact, they added, creation of Nubra and Zanskar as districts is also being demanded by the BJP Ladakh unit besides other political parties and social organizations.
“The Administration is looking into various aspects for creation of Nubra in Leh and Zanskar in Kargil as new districts including whether any sub divisions, tehsils and blocks can also be created or not. Area and population are being studied,” the sources said.
Presently, entire Union Territory of Ladakh is based on two districts only—Leh and Kargil. It was a region of Jammu and Kashmir which was declared as third division after imposition of Central rule in J&K in 2019 and was subsequently made the Union Territory on August 5, 2019 following abrogation of special status of erstwhile State and its bifurcation.
After some time, LAB and KDA were floated in Leh and Kargil districts with representation from almost all major political parties, social and religious organizations with four-point agenda including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh, two Parliamentary seats and employment opportunities. The BJP has, however, dissociated itself from LAB and KDA.
While the MHA is averse to demand for Statehood to Ladakh because of very less population and Sixth Schedule status, it is ready to grant all safeguards to the UT including land, culture, languages etc. As far as increase in Parliamentary seats is concerned, it has been freezed by the Parliament till 2026.
“Apart from strengthening of Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil and empowering them for providing safeguards to Ladakh, the Central Government and UT administration are likely to concede the demand for two more districts to Ladakh to empower the people,” the sources said.
At the same time, the administration is also likely to look into the demand whether more administrative units like tehsils, sub divisions or blocks can be created in the UT or not.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs had earlier recommended to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to consider examining the Union Territory of Ladakh in Fifth or Sixth Schedule, but the MHA evaded direct reply saying main objective of inclusion of tribal population under the Schedule is to ensure their overall socio-economic development which the UT administration has already been taking care of since its creation.
“Sufficient funds are being provided to Ladakh to meet its overall developmental requirements,” the Ministry had said.
Both Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil have already passed separate resolutions seeking Sixth Schedule like status to Ladakh. Leh Council is headed by the BJP while NC is ruling the Council in Kargil.
The BJP is, however, averse to the demand of Statehood for Ladakh saying UT was the demand of Ladakhis for past several years which was fulfilled by the Union Government on August 5, 2019.
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