Leh, May 10: Nearly six and a half years after Ladakh became a Union Territory, the long-pending demand for the creation of the Ladakh Subordinate Administrative Services (LSAS) is finally close to becoming a reality, with an announcement from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) expected shortly.
As per reports published in daily newspaper quoting sources claimed the Ladakh administration has submitted a detailed proposal to the MHA for establishment of the LSAS, including recruitment rules, vacancy details and the proposed selection mechanism through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The move comes days after the Centre announced creation of five new districts in Ladakh, taking the total number of districts in the UT from two to seven.
Officials said the creation of new districts is expected to significantly increase the requirement for gazetted officers and administrative staff across the region.
At present, nearly 1,200 vacancies exist in the gazetted cadre in Ladakh, and the number is likely to rise further with the expansion of administrative infrastructure.
According to sources, the proposed framework suggests that 50 percent of gazetted posts under the LSAS will be filled through direct recruitment conducted by the UPSC, while the remaining 50 percent will be filled through promotions from feeder services. The recruitment process will be carried out within Ladakh’s domicile and reservation framework.
The recruitment rules are expected to be finalized by the UPSC after formal approval from the MHA. Officials described the proposal as being in the “final stage”, indicating that the announcement could be made anytime soon.
Since Ladakh attained Union Territory status on August 5, 2019 following the bifurcation of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, the absence of a dedicated administrative service has remained a major concern among aspirants and political groups.
In the absence of LSAS, officers from Jammu and Kashmir, including those from JKAS and JKPS, have been serving in Ladakh on deputation.
Youth bodies and political organisations in Ladakh have repeatedly demanded early establishment of the LSAS and timely recruitment to administrative posts.
Many aspirants have also sought age relaxation, arguing that prolonged delays by the administration pushed several candidates beyond the eligibility limit.
Meanwhile, the MHA has convened a Sub-Committee meeting on Ladakh in New Delhi on May 22.
The meeting, chaired by senior officials of the MHA and the UT administration, was announced ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Leh.
However, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been jointly campaigning for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, have reiterated their demand for a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. The last HPC meeting was held on February 4.
