SRNAGAR: Ladakh’s Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have rejected the draft proposals submitted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on constitutional safeguards and the structure of a proposed Union Territory-level elected body, citing a wide gap between the Centre’s offer and their demands.
The decision follows a meeting between the two sides in Leh on Thursday, which remained inconclusive. The next round of talks has been scheduled for October 22 in New Delhi, with the Ladakh groups maintaining that the Centre has backtracked from assurances given during earlier discussions.
LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said the Home Ministry officials had submitted draft proposals on the structure of the UT-level body and constitutional safeguards, while LAB and KDA handed over replies to seven questions raised by the ministry at their September 9 meeting.
“There was huge gap between what the MHA offered to us and what we have been demanding,” Lakruk told Daily Excelsior, adding that the documents offered little possibility of reaching a consensus at Thursday’s meeting. He clarified that the talks had not failed and would continue.
Lakruk said the two organisations would submit their response to the ministry by October 18 after examining the draft proposals.
He also alleged that the Centre had retreated from some understandings reached earlier, particularly regarding the powers of the proposed elected body and the safeguards sought under Article 371. According to him, the MHA had indicated that the annual performance reports of the Chief Secretary would not be written by the head of the proposed UT-level body, despite an earlier assurance to the contrary.
On constitutional safeguards, Lakruk said the ministry had not offered the specific subjects and powers being sought by the Ladakh representatives.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai also criticised the proposal, saying the arrangement offered by the ministry would create an agency subordinate to the existing council rather than provide the kind of empowered institution the groups had been demanding.
Karbalai accused the Centre of backtracking from the understanding reached in May and said the latest proposal was not acceptable to the two organisations.
The discussions follow a September 9 meeting in New Delhi that LAB and KDA had described as a “non-starter” because of the lack of substantive progress on Ladakh’s key demands.
At the May 22 meeting, the Centre and the Ladakh representatives had reached an in-principle understanding on restoring democratic representation and extending constitutional safeguards on the lines of Articles 371A, 371F and 371G, which provide special protections to Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram, respectively. The understanding also envisaged a directly elected UT-level body with legislative, financial and executive powers.
At a subsequent meeting on September 9, it was decided that members of the proposed UT-level body would be directly elected by the people rather than selected by the seven Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
The latest meeting was the first in which the MHA presented draft proposals covering both the proposed elected body and Article 371-related safeguards. The two sides remain divided over the extent of powers and constitutional protection to be provided to Ladakh.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the development of Ladakh remained a top priority for the Central Government as he virtually inaugurated five infrastructure projects worth around Rs 3,350 crore on Thursday.
The projects include a new passenger terminal at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, the 298-km Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road, a 9 MW Hanu small hydropower project, a 66-kV Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi transmission line, India’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park at Sindhu Ghat and 40 water bodies developed across 40 villages under Project Him Sarovar.
Modi said the government aimed to expand modern infrastructure while protecting Ladakh’s environment and creating better opportunities for local youth in education, research and employment.
Citing improvements since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, he said its road network had expanded from 1,800 km to more than 4,000 km, the number of major bridges had increased from 19 to nearly 75, and helipads had grown from seven to more than 40. Tap-water coverage had risen from 3.5 per cent to nearly 99 per cent of households, while hospital beds had doubled, he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the proposed centre of excellence in Leh, plans for satellite campuses of IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu, expansion of digital connectivity and efforts to strengthen the global market for Ladakh’s Pashmina and other local products.
He said the Zojila Tunnel would provide all-weather national connectivity and noted that more than 40 border settlements were being upgraded under the Vibrant Villages programme.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the projects, saying they would strengthen connectivity, water security, power supply and the preservation of cultural heritage. He also referred to the formation of five new districts in April and the move towards establishing Autonomous Hill Development Councils in all seven districts as steps towards addressing local aspirations.
