In a significant breakthrough, the Centre and Ladakh representatives Friday agreed on the creation of an elected body at the Union Territory level with full legislative, executive, and financial powers, apart from having similar bodies in each of the seven districts.
The two sides resumed talks after a gap of over three months, with environmentalist and activist Sonam Wangchuk, released in March after six months of detention under the National Security Act, also joining in. They reached an understanding on providing Ladakh constitutional safeguards in matters like land, jobs, and culture under Article 371, as applicable to states like Nagaland, Sikkim, and Mizoram.
While the arrangement stops short of Ladakh bodies' central demands like statehood, Sixth Schedule status, and a Union Territory with a legislature, it accommodates their essence and spirit, said a government official. The proposed elected body at the UT level will have all bureaucrats of the UT, including the chief secretary, reporting to its executive head. Additionally, constitutional safeguards are being provided to Ladakh, though not under the Sixth Schedule but under Article 371 A, F, and G, pertaining to protecting regional customs, indigenous cultures, land rights, and ensuring equitable economic development.
A press note issued by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance after talks with home ministry representatives here said the Ministry of Home Affairs had explained that Ladakh could not be given statehood at the moment as it currently lacks adequate revenue generation to meet revenue expenditures like salaries of employees. However, it added that this setup will lead Ladakh towards full statehood as and when it meets the revenue criteria. The Ladakh bodies said the executive head of the UT-level elected body, proposed to be chief minister, shall have control over all bureaucrats of the UT. A source said the two autonomous councils in Ladakh would also give way to elected bodies with full legislative powers in all seven districts.
MHA to Consult Experts on Ladakh UT Body
Government sources said while there was a broad agreement on the creation of UT- and district-level bodies with full legislative powers, their composition, structure, and operational details, including the legislative framework, will be decided by the MHA and Ladakh bodies in consultation with legal and constitutional experts. The LAB and KDA have been agitating for long, demanding statehood, Sixth Schedule status, constitutional protections, and enhanced parliamentary representation for Ladakh.
