Ladakh leaders, MHA officials to resume talks today on Article 371 safeguards, elected body

Suhail Khan

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Srinagar, Oct 15: The next round of sub-committee level talks between Ladakh leaders and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials likely will be held in Leh today, with the focus on a roadmap for Ladakh-specific constitutional safeguards under Article 371(K) and a proposed elected body at the level of the Union territory.

The sub-committee level meeting, scheduled for 4 pm, will be attended by leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Ladakh MP Haji Haneefa Jan and ministry officials.

The talks follow the September 9 meeting between the two sides in New Delhi, where an understanding was reached on a Ladakh-level elected body and safeguards under the special provision of Article 371 of the Constitution.

LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey confirmed that the meeting would focus on these two aspects, adding that the ministry officials had proposed a Union territory-level elected body in the last meeting. “We will submit written replies to some points raised by MHA officials in the September 9 meeting,” he said.

Dorjey said the Ladakh leadership wanted clarity on the Centre’s proposed framework for constitutional safeguards. “We would like to know what the constitutional safeguards are they are offering us,” he said.

He said the Ladakh leaders would seek details of the proposed elected body’s powers and the role of the lieutenant governor under the envisaged arrangement.

Expressing concerns over recent policy decisions made by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, he said that till no decision is made on the constitutional safeguards and the elected body, “we want him not to take any major decisions, including regularisation of Nautor land, opening of wine shops and tourism-related policy matters”.

These policy decisions, he said, can be taken after the new government takes over following elections to the elected body.

Another LAB leader said the proposals put forward by MHA officials would be examined and discussed with stakeholders to build a broader consensus. “The LAB and KDA hope the process will subsequently move through appropriate constitutional and parliamentary channels, with possibility of consideration during the winter session of Parliament,” he said.

Following the September 9 talks, Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra had said that the two sides reached an understanding towards a sui generis model tailored specifically to Ladakh. He said the proposed arrangement would involve a legislative body that would neither be a state legislature nor a conventional legislature for a UT.

The LAB and KDA have demanded that the proposed elected body should have control over taxation, budget, expenditure, borrowings and public funds, including the Consolidated Fund and Contingency Fund. They have also sought control over home affairs through an elected government and the proposed Ladakh legislative assembly.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation five major development projects worth around Rs 3,350 crore in Ladakh. These include the Leh airport’s Rs 640-crore passenger terminal building, the 298-km Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road, the 9 MW Hanu small hydroelectric project, the 66 kV double-circuit Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi transmission line, India’s first petroglyph conservation park and 40 water bodies developed in 40 villages under Project Him Sarovar — boosting connectivity, energy security, heritage conservation and water availability.