Focus on implementation of Sixth Schedule
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 3: As the Sub Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) meets again tomorrow, the legal and constitutional experts have also been called to the meeting from the Union Law and Justice Ministry, reportedly with a view to discuss implementation of some parts of the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MHA has written to Secretary Legal Affairs Department and Secretary Legislative Department of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice to depute their senior officials for the Sub Committee on Ladakh meeting at North Block at 4 PM tomorrow.
“The presence of legal and constitutional experts assumed significance as the Sub Committee will discuss which parts of Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution are beneficial and can be implemented in the Union Territory of Ladakh,” the sources said.
Besides Sixth Schedule, the Sub Committee will discuss Statehood and dedicated Public Services Commission (PSC) for Ladakh.
The Sub Committee comprised Thupstan Chhewang, Chhering Dorje alias Lakrook and Nawang Rigzin Jora, all from Leh Apex Body (LAB), Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Hussain alias Sajjad Kargili from Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, MHA’s Joint Secretary (JKL) and Director/Deputy Director (Ladakh) as Member Secretary are also part of the Sub Committee.
This will be fourth meeting of the MHA with LAB and KDA representatives in less than three months. Two meetings of the High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Union MoS Home Nityanand Rai were held in New Delhi on December 4 and January 19. Meeting of the Sub Committee was held on February 24.
Earlier, the LAB and KDA had presented four-point agenda before the MHA including Statehood, Sixth Schedule, dedicated PSC and two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh. Presently, the LAB and KDA are not insisting on their fourth demand for two seats for Ladakh as they know it can’t be met before 2026 due to freeze on Parliamentary seats.
The BJP, which won lone Lok Sabha seat of Ladakh for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 and is also in power in Leh Hill Development Council for second term, is not part of LAB and KDA but has been taking up the issues of Ladakh on its own with the Central Government as well as UT administration.
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