Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 10: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) to deliberate and reach consensus on around 8-10 key issues concerning the proposed political architecture of Ladakh before the drafting of a constitutional amendment under Article 371.
Addressing a press conference Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, who was part of the Sub-Committee meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, said the discussions had moved forward on the proposal to create a union Territory-level elected body under a special constitutional framework for Ladakh
He said the representatives of LAB and KDA had agreed that elections to the proposed UT-level body should be held directly through constituencies rather than indirectly through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs).
However, several issues relating to the powers and functioning of the proposed body remain to be settled, he said.
"There are certain questions regarding the relationship between the LAHDCs and the UT-level body, what powers will come under the jurisdiction of the LAHDCs and what powers will come under the UT-level body," Kundra said.
He said a list of around 8-10 questions had been shared with the leaders who attended the meeting and they had been asked to deliberate on them, consult among themselves and with the people and convey their views to the Centre.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs has already started working on it. As I said, we have given them a set of questions. Through you, I would request that we receive the answers to those questions as soon as possible so that we can forward them to the Ministry of Home Affairs," Kundra said.
He said the next meeting between the Centre and Ladakh representatives would be held in the first half of October, with the aim of moving towards a draft after consensus was reached on the basic principles.
Kundra said the Centre did not want to impose any model on Ladakh that was not acceptable to its people.
"Before preparing a document, there has to be agreement on the principles. Legal drafting of the Bill will follow once there is agreement on those principles," he said.
The Chief Secretary said the ongoing dialogue was aimed at addressing the core aspirations of the people of Ladakh, including protection of land, culture, heritage, mineral resources, environment and employment.
He said a reservation mechanism for jobs had already been provided for Ladakh, while the Centre had conveyed that constitutional protection would be provided for the other concerns.
Kundra said the proposed governance structure would have the panchayats at the grassroots, followed by the LAHDCs and the proposed UT-level elected body above them.
He stressed that the proposal involved a constitutional amendment and not an ordinary legislation.
"This is a constitutional amendment. It requires extensive legal drafting, but before that drafting can happen, agreement on the principles is necessary," he said.
A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and involves a prescribed parliamentary process, he said, adding that Bills could also be referred to select Committees. |
