JAMMU, Sept 9: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is understood to have told representatives from Ladakh today that the proposed UT-level body will be formed through direct elections and to fine-tune the system like deciding number of constituencies, another meeting will be held in the month of October in Ladakh.
The MHA is reported to have agreed to pay compensation to September 24, 2025 victims of police firing in Leh.
The Sub-Committee meeting was held in New Delhi this afternoon and was attended by senior officers of MHA, UT administration of Ladakh, three members each from Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Ladakh MP Mohd Hanifa Jan, Thupstan Chhewang, former MP, Dr Mohd Jaffar Akhoon, Chairman Kargil Hill Development Council and Tashi Gyalson, former Chairman Leh Hill Development Council, among others.
LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told the Excelsior from New Delhi after the meeting that there was no headway in the talks.
“There was nothing new. All previous issues were repeated by the MHA officials, which have already been discussed. When we pressed for further progress on the issues of UT-level elected body and Article 371, we were told that another meeting will be held in the month of October,” Lakruk said.
He said they stressed that they can’t come quite often to New Delhi. On this, the MHA officials agreed that they will travel to Ladakh for next meeting in October, he added.
“We are on the job,” Lakruk quoted the MHA officials as saying when the LAB and KDA members sought release of draft on UT-level elected body with legislative, financial and executive powers and implementation of Article 371.
KDA leader Sajjad Kargili said they are not satisfied with today’s talks as they were expecting draft on UT-level body but there was nothing like that.
However, another senior Ladakh leader, not affiliated with LAB or KDA, told the Excelsior on condition of anonymity that they were briefed by the MHA officials that the UT-level body will be constituted by direct elections (i.e. by voting through the electorates) and number of the constituencies and procedure for delimitation of the seats will be decided shortly.
“The next meeting will be held in first week of October,” he said, adding that land, culture, heritage, forest, environment and natural resources will be under the UT-level elected body under Article 240.
Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra described the meeting as positive.
“Attended the sub committee meeting with leaders of Ladakh at MHA in Delhi today. A general air of positivity prevailed as the broad contours of Sui-generis model of governance under Article 371 of the constitution were discussed- Deepening democracy is the goal,” Kundra said in a post on X.
Soon after the Sub-Committee meeting, as per the sources, the LAB and KDA held their joint meeting to discuss future course of action.
The LAB and KDA are also understood to have sought that till UT-level elected body is in place, the Ladakh administration shouldn’t take any major policy decision and should carry out only day-to-day routine work and that Home Department should also be under control of the body. However, they said, there was no assurance from the MHA officials.
In May 22 meeting held in New Delhi, the LAB and KDA reached an in-principle understanding with the Government of India on restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing Constitutional safeguards on the lines of Article 371 A, F, and G and constitution of UT-level elected body with legislative, financial and executive powers.
Later, two more meetings were held by the MHA in Leh in which the issues pertaining to the UT-level body were discussed but the Home Ministry has so far not come up with broad contours of the body like its name, total number of seats, exact powers and other related issues.
Few days back, the UT administration in Ladakh notified seven District Hill Development Councils. Previously, there were two Hill Councils-Leh and Kargil. The district Kargil presently has the elected Hill Council while the Leh Council had completed its term in October last year.
However, the administration is yet to come out with total number of seats the each Council will have. Once number of the seats is decided, only then the delimitation of constituencies can be taken up followed by the elections.
