No headway in Ladakh’s ‘statehood’ talks with Centre
The Apex Body and central government officers and home minister held several rounds or talks in New Delhi, since Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance were invited for talks last year
The fresh meeting between Union home ministry officials and the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance ended without any concrete outcome.
The Apex Body and central government officers and home minister held several rounds or talks in New Delhi, since Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance were invited for talks last year.
A sub-committee formed to look into the demands of Ladakh’s people Monday failed to make any headway after two back-to-back meetings with central government functionaries and have decided to consult with the people of the region to devise a future course of action.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have been demanding statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of the Union territory in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and the setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the high-altitude region.
The sub-committee of the LAB and KDA held a meeting with officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the advisor of the Union Territory of Ladakh, according to a statement issued by the two organisations.
“The meeting ended without any concrete outcome,” it said.
Subsequently, the sub-committee held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah at his residence. “This meeting too didn’t result in any positive outcome,” the organisations said.
According to the statement, the organisations have decided to devise a future course of action after consultation with the people of the two districts of Ladakh – Leh and Kargil.
The sub-committee was formed following a meeting held on February 19 between the High Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh headed by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and a 14-member delegation of the LAB and the KDA, representing various organisations of the Union Territory.
Thupstan Chhewang, Chering Dorjay Lakruk and Nawang Rigzin Jora, representing the LAB, and Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili, representing the KDA, are members of the sub-committee.
Akhoon, Chhewang, Lakruk and Karbalai signed the press statement issued on Monday.
The other demands of the delegation include two Lok Sabha seats (one for Kargil and one for Leh) and job opportunities for the residents of the Union Territory, sources said earlier.
Ladakh currently has one Lok Sabha constituency. Ladakh, which no longer has any assembly constituency, was earlier part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
With PTI inputs
