Arteev Sharma
Jammu, May 26: Leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Monday evening unanimously agreed to resume dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from the point where discussions were left off on January 15 this year, with a primary focus on addressing key issues, including domicile rights, recruitment in government jobs and establishment of a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC) for region.
The decision was taken during a joint meeting of LAB and KDA leaders held in New Delhi this evening to chalk out a unified strategy ahead of the High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The HPC is being convened by the MHA and will be chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.
Sources said the two bodies agreed that immediate priority must be given to, what they described, as “the most pressing issues” affecting the people of Ladakh—including, domicile safeguards, growing unemployment, and absence of a dedicated Public Service Commission.
“We have decided that our talks with the Centre will resume from where they were halted during the last meeting,” confirmed Chering Dorjay Lakruk, co-chairman of the LAB, while speaking to The News Now after the meeting.
“Our primary focus is on ensuring early resolution of key issues including domicile rights, unemployment, the establishment of a Public Service Commission, and recruitment to Ladakh-specific cadre posts,” he said.
He revealed that all HPC members from both LAB and KDA participated in the meeting and reached a unanimous consensus on the strategy to be presented during Tuesday’s talks in Delhi.
“Our immediate priority is addressing concerns related to employment and recruitment in government departments,” he said, adding “Once these issues are resolved, we will take up the other two core issues of our four-point agenda, including Statehood and Sixth Schedule Status to Ladakh”.
The veteran Buddhist leader said, “We will also seek that the meeting should extend for a day, i.e May 28 so that all pending issues are resolved without any further delay”.
The last formal meeting of the LAB and KDA leaders with the MHA was held on January 15. A follow-up meeting, initially proposed for February 15, did not materialize, with the MHA reportedly opting for backchannel talks to evolve a consensus on certain key issues prior to making any announcements.
The HPC meeting, earlier scheduled for May 20, was deferred as the date coincided closely with the birth anniversary of His Eminence Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a prominent Buddhist leader, on May 19.
In response, LAB Co-chairman Chering Dorjay sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) requesting that the meeting be rescheduled to May 23 and 24. However, the request was declined due to the unavailability of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, who is the chairman of the HPC, in New Delhi on those dates.
The LAB and KDA leaders argued that their priority is to resolve the issues of domicile rights and reservations for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). They believed that settling these matters would pave the way for the advertisement of government jobs, particularly in the gazetted cadre—an issue that has remained unresolved since August 5, 2019, when Ladakh was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and granted Union Territory.
The LAB and KDA have proposed that individuals residing in Ladakh since 1989 be recognized as domiciles of the Union Territory, in contrast to the 15-year residency requirement set for Jammu and Kashmir.
