The meeting has come against the backdrop of central government mulling to create new administrative districts for Zanskar and Nubra in Ladakh, even as the dialogue between Ministry of Home Affairs’ High Powered Committee (HPC) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) moves forward.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier B D Mishra met union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday, officials said.
The Home Minister and Lieutenant Governor held an elaborative discussions on a range of developments matters pertaining to Ladakh union territory, they added.
Sources informed that LG Mishra briefed the home minister on the ongoing dialogue between High Powered Committee led by Shah’s deputy Nityanand Rai, and Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, of which Mishra is also a part.
As per the latest reports, the LAB and KDA are advocating for the implementation of selected provisions from the Sixth Schedule rather than its entirety in the Union Territory, while maintaining the status quo on three other issues– Statehood, two Parliamentary seats and setting up of the Public Services Commission (PSC).
They are likely to submit a join document of their demands and concerns to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi, before the next round of talks begin.
Discussions on creation of new administrative districts for Zanskar and Nubra in Ladakh also took place in the meeting between Shah and Mishra, besides the proposed amendment in the LAHDC Act to grant legislative powers to LAHDCs of Leh and Kargil on subjects such as Land, Employment, Environment, Culture and Language etc acknowledging the aspirations of the people of Ladakh for constitutional safeguards, sources informed,
Sources familiar to the development inform that union government is not averse to concede to the long-pending demand of Ladakh for creation of two more districts in the Union Territory, even as the proposal of strengthening of two Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil has also found favour with the BJP leadership in New Delhi.
“A formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made few weeks ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” the sources inform.
During their meeting, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier B D Mishra also presented a copy of ‘Where Heaven and Mountains Meet: Zanskar and the Himalayas’ by French photographer and author Olivier Follmi to Home Minister Shah, officials said.
Originally published in French in 1997 and later translated into English in 1999, the book ‘Where Heaven and Mountains Meet: Zanskar and the Himalayas’ contains Folllmi’s photographs of the extraordinary landscape of Zanskar and portraits of its people, along with delicate, hand-painted watercolors by Tibetan artist Rapkar Wangchuk which seek to recreate the quintessential images of Tibetan Buddhism.
