Leh: Principal Secretary, UT Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal chaired the first meeting of the Committee recently formed to examine issues pertaining to LAHDCs.
Administrative Secretary, UT Ladakh, Ravinder Kumar; DC/CEO, LAHDC Leh, Shrikant Suse; Director Finance, UT Ladakh, DC Rajathkumar attended the meeting.
To address concerns and demands of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils, the Union Territory administration was announced high powered committee for examining their issues and making relevant recommendations in a period of fifteen days.
The Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh has ordered constitution of Committee regarding issues relating to allowances and facilities for the members of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in backdrop of representations and a recent communication from the Councillors seeking defining of their powers.
An order to this effect issued by Commissioner-Secretary GAD, Ajit Kumar Sahu reads: “Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a Committee to examine the various representations received by UT administration regarding issued relating to allowances and facilities for the members of LAHDCs for servicing their constituencies and matters connected therewith”.
According to the order, Dr Pawan Kotwal Principal Secretary will be the Chairman of the Committee, while Ravinder Kumar Administrative Secretary as convener, Shrikant Balasaheb and Santosh Sukhadeve, Deputy Commissioners/ CEO LAHDCs Leh and Kargil and DC Rajathkumar, Director Finance Department will be the members.
The Committee has been asked to submit its report with recommendations to the General Administration Department within 15 days.
It may be mentioned here that on August 2, the Union Territory administration had issued a detailed and revised list of protocol and courtesies to be extended to the LAHDC members. However, on the next day the LAHDC Leh members issued a press communication threatening to boycott the Independence Day celebrations if their powers were not defined.
The LAHDCs are two and half decades old institutions with statutory authority and powers. Since Ladakh is a Union Territory without legislature, any further change in the nature and authority of LAHDC is the domain of the Union Home Ministry.
The UT administration says that it is doing its best to support the Councillors discharge their functions in service of the people of Ladakh.
