LEH: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan is visiting the Union Territory of Ladakh on June 30 (Monday), to take a thorough review of different developmental works with senior officers and issues of Ladakh including formal creation of new five districts announced, UT’s inclusion in Sixth Schedule and Statehood.
As per the reports, the Home Secretary will reach Leh on June 30 and will have a meeting with Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Brig (Retd) BD Mishra and another meeting with senior officers of the UT.
He is likely to review the working of the administration and pace of ongoing development works to ensure their timely completion.
Apart from existing two districts of Leh and Kargil, the MHA had on August 26, 2024 announced five new districts for Ladakh including Sham, Nubra and Changthang in Leh; and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil.
Afterward, the UT administration had set up High-Level Committee headed by Retired IAS officer Pramod Kumar Jain and Kacho Asfandyar Khan and Tsering Angchok as Members and DCs as ex-officio members for identification of areas, posts, headquarters and other requisites for new districts. The Committee has already submitted its report.
As per the sources, the Union Home Secretary will take a review on how to proceed with the structure of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in these new five districts. The MHA has the final call in this regard.
As five newly created districts will be small administrative units, the MHA will have to examine whether the concept of Hill Councils will be feasible for the new districts or not.
Report submitted suggested that some areas of existing Districts will also become part of 5 newly created districts effectively reducing population and voters in the existing Councils.
Importantly, Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have been spearheading the agitation for various demands including 6th Schedule, and Statehood. The representatives were not invited for the meeting so far.
The other day, in a high-level meeting between the Executive Councillors and Councillors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil and Member of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), Dr Asha Lakra, LAHDC strongly reiterated the long-standing demand for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which would ensure greater constitutional and administrative safeguards for the region’s tribal communities.
The Council also urged the restoration of full autonomy to the LAHDCs in both Kargil and Leh, as envisaged in the original Hill Council Act.
The meeting focused on critical issues concerning the tribal population and the broader aspirations of the people of Ladakh.
Among other key issues raised were the immediate implementation of the proposal to create five districts in Ladakh, which had been approved in principle, and a renewed demand for granting district status to the regions of Chiktan and Sankoo to improve administrative efficiency and local governance.
The Council also expressed concern over non-operations of civilian flights in Kargil and urged it to recommend it to the union government.
Concerns raised were acknowledged and NCST Member assured the Council that the Commission would take up the matter of Sixth Schedule inclusion and restoration of LAHDC autonomy with the Union Government.
Ahead of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan’s visit, the Ladakh administration has amended Ladakh Reservation Rules based on the consensus reached at the High-Powered Committee meeting in Delhi on May 27.
There will be 80% Reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 10 percent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), four percent for residents of areas adjoining the Actual line of Control (ALC) and one percent for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
