MHA team likely to visit Ladakh in Oct first week for Sub-Committee talks

LAB ready with replies to 9 questions

*Forward movement on UT-level body expected

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Sept 29: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) team is set to visit Ladakh in first week of October to take forward the talks with stakeholders on UT-level elected body and other issues especially with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The LAB is ready with replies to nine questions sought by the MHA in last meeting held in New Delhi on September 9.

Officials told the Excelsior that the Sub-Committee meeting this time will be held in Ladakh-either in Leh or Kargil--- and not in New Delhi. The MHA officials, who are part of the Sub-Committee, will travel to Ladakh for talks with LAB and KDA and other stakeholders besides the UT administration officials on the issues like broad contours of the UT-level elected body with legislative, financial and executive powers.

``While date for the meeting is yet to be announced, some of the stakeholders have been sounded that the dialogue will be held in first week of October. The talks will be held in Ladakh and whether the venue will be Leh or Kargil will also be decided when the date is announced,'' they said.

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LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk confirmed to the Excelsior that the LAB is ready with answers to nine specific questions submitted by the Union Home Ministry officials to them on the status of UT-level elected body. ``We will be submitting our version of questions to the MHA at the Sub-Committee meeting,'' he said.

It may be mentioned here that the LAB has taken the assistance of top legal experts while drafting its response to nine questions which were primarily aimed at defining structure of the UT-level elected body which the MHA has proposed to give to Ladakh.

It was also decided in September 9 meeting in New Delhi that next Sub-Committee meeting will be held either in Leh or Kargil. This was agreed after the LAB and KDA leadership insisted that they can't travel frequently to New Delhi for talks. The MHA officials then announced that they will travel to Ladakh for next round of dialogue.

While the LAB and KDA leaders are expecting draft of the UT-level body's structure in next Sub-Committee meeting from the MHA, the indications are that the draft can take some time but definitely there will be forward movement in talks on finalization of the elected body's broad contours.

Sources said the suggestions sought from the LAB pertained only to limited issues and not all powers which the newly-elected UT-level body will have. In September 9 Sub-Committee meeting, it was agreed upon that there will be direct election to the UT-level body i.e. members of the body will be elected by the people and not representatives of seven newly notified Autonomous Hill Development Councils. The Ladakh bodies were told in the meeting that land, culture, heritage, forest, environment and natural resources will be under the UT-level elected body under Article 240.

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 out with broad contours of the body like its name, total number of seats, exact powers and other related issues.

The UT administration in Ladakh has already 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.