LEH: Even as Ladakh fails to build a consensus on its demand for constitutional safeguards for the region, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Leh chief Tashi Gyalson on Monday pitched for strengthening the LAHDC Act.
The local hill councils, one each in Leh and Kargil, are among the most powerful councils in the country but after the region was made a separate union territory after the reorganisation of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, there have been demands from various quarters to strengthen the LAHDC Act in the context of the new identity of Ladakh.
On Monday, Gyalson, the chief executive councillor and chairman of the Leh council arrived in New Delhi, where he called upon the union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and the national president of Bharatiya Janata Party Jagat Prakash Nadda.
“Advocate TashiGyalson met Dr Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences; PMO, PP/ DoPT, Atomic Energy, & Space in New Delhi on Monday,” an official spokesman said.
Accompanied by BJP Ladakh’s State President, PhunchokStanzin, and General Secretary, Dr SkalzangDorjey, the CEC discussed various developmental issues of Ladakh at large with the Union Minister of State.
CEC Gyalson discussed various agendas including the roles and functioning of LAHDC with Singh and sought his assistance for further strengthening the Hill Council’s Act in the context of the Union Territory, said an official handout.
The LAHDC Act was last amended in 2018, and continued even under the Union Territory, while the current LAHDC Act makes the Councils the most powerful councils in the country, CEC Gylason has in the past highlighted that some additional steps are needed to strengthen the LAHDC to provide adequate scope to fulfil the development aspirations of people of Ladakh, particularly after Ladakh was made a union territory.
Singh assured the CEC of his assistance in resolving the issues raised before him, the handout said, adding that Gyalson-led delegation extended their gratitude for the support and assistance of Singh in developing the much-needed recently announced Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle, Ladakh.
Earlier in the day, Gyalson met with the National President BJP, Jagat Prakash Nadda at the Parliament office of BJP in New Delhi.
CEC Gyalson apprised BJP President, JP Nadda of the developmental activities that are being carried out in the newly created UT of Ladakh.
He also extended gratitude for giving Ladakh a good opportunity to present and host the Y20 pre-summit under the aegis of India’s G20 Presidency to be held from April 26 to 28 this year.
The delegation also discussed various other issues with the National President of BJP.
As informed, BJP National President, J.P Nadda would take a detailed meeting tomorrow with the delegation in the presence of MP Ladakh and other concerned officials.
