New Delhi, Oct 8: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) has proposed October 12, 13 and 14 as possible dates for the next meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the ongoing dialogue over constitutional safeguards and an elected Union Territory-level body for Ladakh.
The development comes after the MHA asked the LAB to suggest dates convenient for the Ladakh representatives for the next round of discussions.
LAB Chairman Tsering Dorjay Lakruk said that the organisation has conveyed all three dates to the Home Ministry and is now awaiting final confirmation.
“We have been told that the Sub-Committee meeting will be held in Leh. The MHA representatives asked us to suggest convenient dates, and we have proposed October 12, 13 and 14,” Lakruk said.
The MHA is expected to select one of the proposed dates and formally schedule the meeting.
Next Meeting to Be Held in Leh
The venue for the upcoming round of talks has also been finalised. During the previous Sub-Committee meeting held in New Delhi last month, it was decided that the next discussions would take place in Ladakh, either in Leh or Kargil. The meeting will now be conducted in Leh.
Sources said the MHA is likely to communicate the final date to both the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) shortly.
LAB-KDA Finalise Joint Response to Nine MHA Questions
The LAB and KDA are also preparing to respond to nine questions raised by the MHA during the previous Sub-Committee meeting.
Lakruk said the two Ladakh-based bodies have finalised their response and will submit a joint reply covering the issues raised by the Home Ministry.
The questions relate to the proposed structure and functioning of the UT-level elected body being discussed for Ladakh.
Demand for Elected UT-Level Body With Legislative, Financial Powers
The upcoming meeting assumes significance as the LAB and KDA are seeking an elected Union Territory-level institution with legislative, financial and executive powers, along with constitutional safeguards concerning Ladakh’s land, culture, environment and natural resources.
The Ladakh representatives are also seeking safeguards on the lines of provisions associated with Articles 371A, 371F and 371G.
The LAB and KDA are understood to be expecting the MHA to provide greater clarity on the proposed structure of the UT-level body during the Leh meeting. However, sources indicated that a complete draft may take additional time, even as discussions are expected to move forward on its broad framework.
Direct Election for Proposed UT-Level Body
During the September 9 Sub-Committee meeting in New Delhi, the Ladakh representatives were informed that the proposed UT-level body would have directly elected representatives, rather than representatives being selected by members of the existing Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
Sources said the issues on which the MHA sought suggestions from the Ladakh bodies were limited in scope and did not cover all the powers that the proposed elected body could ultimately exercise.
The September discussions also covered the proposed role of the UT-level body in matters concerning land, culture, heritage, forests, environment and natural resources under the constitutional framework being discussed.
May Understanding on Constitutional Safeguards
The ongoing dialogue follows the May 22 meeting in New Delhi, where the LAB and KDA reached an in-principle understanding with the Government of India on measures aimed at strengthening democratic and constitutional safeguards in Ladakh.
The discussions included the proposed creation of a UT-level elected body with legislative, financial and executive powers, along with constitutional protections concerning the region’s distinctive land, culture and other interests.
Two subsequent meetings were also held by the MHA in Leh to discuss the proposed UT-level institution. However, the Home Ministry has so far not finalised or publicly detailed key elements such as the name of the proposed body, total number of seats, precise powers and other structural provisions.
Seven Hill Councils Already Notified
Meanwhile, the Ladakh administration has notified seven District Hill Development Councils. Earlier, the region had two Hill Councils—one each for Leh and Kargil.
The Kargil district currently has an elected Hill Council, while the term of the Leh Hill Council ended in October last year.
The proposed October meeting in Leh is therefore expected to provide another opportunity for the LAB, KDA and MHA to deliberate on the structure, powers and constitutional safeguards of the proposed UT-level elected body for Ladakh.
