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Statehood demand: Centre to rope in legal experts for next meet, say Ladakh leaders
Ladakh leader, MHA officials met in New Delhi on Saturday and the date of next meeting was yet to be finalised
The leaders from Ladakh and Union home ministry officials met for another round of talks at New Delhi on Saturday and deliberated upon sixth schedule, statehood and public service commission for the region, said Congress councillor from Leh City and leader of Opposition in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council of Leh Tsering Namgyal.
“Though home ministry officials largely agreed upon the demand of public service commission and issues related to unemployment, recruitment policies and rules, promotions etc, the officials assured to take up the two core issues 6th schedule and statehood at another meeting that will be convened soon”, he said.
The date for the next meeting has not yet been finalised but the Union home ministry officials assured to hold it soon, added Namgyal. The previous meeting of the sub-committee constituted by the Centre was on February 19.
It has three members each from Leh and Kargil districts.
They are Thupstan Chhewang, chairperson of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and president of Ladakh Buddhist Association; Chering Dorje alias Lakrook, LAB vice-president; Nawang Rigzin Jora, former minister and president territorial Congress Committee, Ladakh; Qamar Ali Akhoon, co-chairperson of Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and National Conference (NC) general secretary from Kargil; Asgar Ali Karbalai, co-chairperson KDA and working president of territorial Congress committee, Ladakh; Sajjad Hussain alias Sajjad Kargili, representative of Islamia School, Kargil.
The sub-committee also has a joint secretary and deputy secretary from Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Affairs in the Union home ministry and adviser to Ladakh lieutenant governor.
The meeting at north block began at 11am and lasted nearly three hours. It was attended by the home secretary Ajay Bhalla.
“Since there was no legal expert from either side, the meeting deliberated upon public service commission and related issues, like recruitment, promotion, age restrictions, cadre and gazetted posts etc. There are still several departments in Ladakh which do not have proper recruitment policies and rules. The union home ministry officials assured a positive response on these issues,” said Namgyal.
Soon after the meeting, Thupstan Chhewang in his presser at New Delhi, expressed hope that the Union home ministry would soon issue a notification on public service commission and related issues.
“For sixth schedule and statehood, the Union home ministry assured that it would hold another round of talks soon. The officials asked LAB and KDA to bring along constitutional experts in the next round and the government would bring its legal experts to sit together and deliberate upon the two key issues,” said the Congress councillor.
“Now, third round of talks will be purely on 6th schedule and statehood,” he added.
On Friday, Thupstan Chhewang had told HT that the Centre was initially keen to grant 6th schedule to Ladakh, but then took a U-turn. He had also lamented that three rounds of discussions with the home minister remained inconclusive.
“Centre says 6th schedule is confined to two to three northeastern states and if they grant it to Ladakh, then it may open a pandora’s box as other states with tribal population may start demanding it,” he had said.
