LAB too asked to draft paper, it starts process with legal team help
Home Ministry’s representative delivers message
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 5: Controversy shrouding exclusion of a significant clause from draft minutes of the Union Home Ministry on May 22 meeting seems to have died down with the MHA through its representatives sounding the Leh Apex Body (LAB) that they are preparing draft concept of UT-level legislative body and District Councils for Ladakh and has also asked the Apex Body to give its proposal.
Confirming the development, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook told the Excelsior that the Home Ministry through its representatives in the UT of Ladakh has conveyed to the Apex Body that the MHA officials have been drafting detailed document on their vision for the UT of Ladakh which was outlined in May 22 Sub-Committee meeting held in New Delhi in which in-principle agreement was reached that Ladakh will have a UT-level legislative body with Legislative, Financial and Executive powers and seven District Councils.
At the same time, Lakrook said, they have also been asked by the MHA to draft their document on the UT-level body including its name, powers etc and they have started the process with the assistance of noted Supreme Court Advocate Vikram Hegde and his team.
“We are also on the job. Once the MHA gives us their document, we will call joint meeting of LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and discuss the proposal given by the Home Ministry and our own document and then take a decision, Both Apex Body and KDA are one and any decision on new political arrangement for Ladakh will also be unanimous,” he added.
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The LAB, as per the sources, will wait for the MHA document now instead of insisting on inclusion of missing clause in draft minutes of May 22 meeting which it had refused to sign saying it amounts to betrayal. The LAB was of the view that in the meeting they had been promised that head of UT-level legislative body will have control over the Chief Secretary while this clause was not mentioned in draft minutes.
The LAB had refused to sign the minutes and urged the Union Home Ministry through a press conference addressed by their leadership in Leh to stick to the in-principle agreement reached in May 22 meeting or, otherwise, they will be compelled to agitate.
The LAB has now decided to wait for the MHA proposal.
As per the in-principle agreement announced on May 22 meeting, Ladakh will have a UT-level legislative body with Legislative, Financial and Executive powers. The Chief Secretary will report to head of the UT-level body which means that the All India Services officers will be under him. Besides, all seven districts of Ladakh will have the District Councils with full powers.
Ladakh earlier had only two districts-Leh and Kargil. In August 2024, the MHA announced five new districts of Ladakh which became operational in April this year ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the Union Territory on April 30 and May 1.
However, presently, Ladakh has only one Hill Development Council in district Kargil. Five-year tenure of Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council ended in October 2025 as fresh elections couldn’t be held to the body due to creation of three more districts out of Leh. Two new districts were carved out of Kargil.
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