SRINAGAR: In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing dialogue on Ladakh’s political future, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and representatives of Ladakh have agreed in principle to establish a Union Territory-level elected body vested with executive, financial and legislative powers as the first step towards strengthening democratic governance in the region.
The understanding emerged from the fifth meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) Sub-Committee held in New Delhi on May 22, the minutes of which were finalised during a follow-up meeting at the Ladakh Secretariat in Leh on Friday.
According to the minutes, all participants unanimously agreed that while the demand for full statehood would remain Ladakh’s long-term aspiration, the immediate priority would be to evolve a customised governance model through a UT-level elected body empowered to exercise executive, financial and legislative authority.
The proposed arrangement would also make the bureaucracy accountable to the elected government. It was agreed that for subjects falling under the jurisdiction of the proposed elected body, administrative control and supervision over officials, including the Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs), would vest with the elected executive. Detailed provisions will be worked out under the proposed Transaction of Business Rules.
The minutes further recorded that the proposed governance framework would be a sui generis model tailored specifically to Ladakh. A draft proposal defining the executive, legislative and financial powers of the elected body, as well as its relationship with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), will now be prepared for further discussions.
Addressing reporters after Friday’s meeting, Leh Apex Body Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook described the discussions as “fruitful” and said representatives of the MHA and Ladakh had finally reached consensus on the minutes of the May 22 meeting after earlier differences.
“We, the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), will submit our draft proposal after consulting experts. The government also has to prepare its own draft proposal, which is yet to be finalised,” Lakrook said.
He said employment-related issues, including the establishment of a Ladakh Public Service Commission, creation of separate employees’ cadres, Ladakh Administrative Service (LAS) and Ladakh Police Service (LPS), also figured prominently during the discussions.
Lakrook cautioned the Union Territory Administration against taking decisions affecting the interests of the people without consulting local stakeholders. Referring to several administrative decisions taken in recent months, he said the administration should not assume that public protests would not take place because of the presence of the Dalai Lama in Ladakh.
“The people have many democratic ways of expressing their concerns, from village-level protests to demonstrations outside Ladakh, as Sonam Wangchuk is currently doing in Delhi,” he said.
The Apex Body and the KDA had earlier expressed resentment over the delay in issuance of the minutes of the May 22 meeting, alleging that certain understandings reached during the meeting had been omitted from the draft circulated by the UT Administration.
KDA Co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar had helped revive the dialogue process with the Centre.
“The MHA representatives came to Ladakh to resume talks. If required, members of the Apex Body and KDA will also travel to Delhi to express solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk, who is fighting not only for Ladakh but also for the youth of the country,” Karbalai said.
According to the official minutes, representatives from Ladakh reiterated their long-standing demands for full statehood, inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, creation of separate Ladakh Administrative Service and Ladakh Police Service, and withdrawal of cases registered after the September 24, 2025 incident.
