It’s major breakthrough, say two bodies
LAS, LPS soon on lines of JKAS, JKPS
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 27:The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) today agreed to keeping 15 years timeline for treating the persons as domiciles of Ladakh post 2019 as against 30 years which was being insisted upon by them but said all non-gazetted jobs have already been reserved for locals and 95 percent posts of the gazetted officers will also go to Ladakhis with only five percent reservation in gazetted category for domiciles.
Core issues of LAB and KDA like Statehood and Sixth Schedule status were not discussed in today’s High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting held in New Delhi and chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. However, the twin bodies from Ladakh were assured that next meeting will be convened within a month.
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After today’s meeting that lasted over three hours, the LAB and KDA expressed confidence that Ladakh will soon have Ladakh Administrative Services (LAS) and Ladakh Police Services (LPS) on the lines of JKAS and JKPS. They said this will be for the first time that the MHA will issue minutes of the meeting.
Briefing reporters after the meeting in New Delhi, LAB and KDA leaders including Thupstan Chhewang, Chering Dorjay Lakruk, Nawang Rigzin Jora and Asgar Ali Karbalaie described today’s meeting as “major breakthrough” saying resolution of domicile issue will clear decks for recruitment to gazetted cadre.
Fifteen years timeline has been fixed for a person to be treated as domicile of Ladakh, which means a person would be required to live in Ladakh for 15 years prospectively from 2019.
The LAB and KDA had been asking for fixing 30 years residency in Ladakh for domicile.
The leaders said the Home Ministry has, however, agreed to send the proposal of 30 years timeline for domicile to the Union Law Ministry for examination and if it is found feasible, the LAB and KDA representatives will be conveyed the outcome in next meeting of the High Powered Committee.
The Ladakh leaders were assured that next meeting of the HPC will be held within a month though no date was conveyed today.
“We have already secured all Government jobs in non-gazetted cadre for the locals. Only those having LRC (Ladakh Resident Certificate) can apply for non-gazetted posts. The LRC is replica of State Subject which was applicable in undivided Jammu and Kashmir, of which, Ladakh was third division.
“In gazetted cadre, 85 percent posts are reserved for general category and 10 pc for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), who will also be locals. Only five percent posts will be available for domiciles which means in this cadre also majority of posts will go to Ladakhis,” the LAB and KDA leaders said.
They said it is not a concern as to which agency (UPSC or J&K PSC) conduct the examinations in gazetted category. But the Ladakh Administrative Services and Ladakh Police Services on the lines of JKAS and JKPS are going to be a reality soon. They added that they have already rejected to be part DANICS and DANIPS. Presently, a number of JKAS and JKPS officers have been posted in Ladakh on deputation.
On their core issues of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh, the LAB and KDA leaders said they are in hurry on these two issues as well but there was unemployment crisis in the UT and they wanted to address that issue first.
The LAB and KDA had launched struggle for four-point agenda in 2021 including Statehood, Sixth Schedule status, dedicated PSC and two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh. At one stage, the MHA rejected the demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule but resumed the talks later.
Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 and made a Union Territory which was a long pending demand of the people in Leh and some parts of Kargil.
Since Ladakh became a UT, no gazetted cadre recruitment has taken place in the absence of guidelines and appointment of agency for recruitment.
The MHA initiated talks with the two bodies during Modi 2.0 Government which were abruptly called off after stalemate over Statehood and Sixth Schedule. Talks were resumed again after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s fast.
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