Seeks convenient dates from members
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India has decided to convene a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh including among others the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in last part of January.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The MHA’s Ladakh division today wrote to the Chief Secretary of Ladakh informing him of the decision to call the HPC meeting in last part of January.
The letter requested the Chief Secretary Ladakh to consult the HPC members for their convenient set of dates and inform the Ministry.
Officials said the dates will be communicated in next few days after consultations with the stakeholders.
The HPC, it may be mentioned, is headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
Last round of talks between the Ladakh bodies and MHA was held on October 22 last year in New Delhi. After the Sub Committee meeting, the MHA officials sought detailed document from the LAB and KDA on their demands which they submitted.
The Sub Committee comprised senior officers of MHA and UT of Ladakh, three members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Chairperson-cum-CEC Kargil Hill Development Council while the High Powered Committee (HPC), whose meeting hasn’t been held for past quite some time, has six members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Kargil Hill Council Chairman, among others and is headed by Nityanand Rai.
October 22 Sub Committee meeting in New Delhi was held after nearly five months as the previous meeting took place on May 27.
Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after September 24 violence in Leh in which four civilians were killed and 100 others, many of them paramilitary personnel, were injured while offices of the BJP and Hill Council were stoned by the mob. Violence occurred during bandh call given by youth wing of the LAB demanding preponing of talks on the issues raised by LAB and KDA, by the Union Home Ministry.
Both the Ladakh organizations (LAB and KDA) stayed away from the dialogue slated for October 6. However, they agreed for October 22 meeting only after the MHA ordered judicial inquiry into the violence headed by a retired Judge of the Supreme Court.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
