Lt Governor must act on aid, advice of Assembly: Ladakh groups to Centre

Srinagar, Aug 19: A team from the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday met the leadership of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in Leh, during which the two groups presented a list of “non-negotiable” demands.
Among them was the demand that the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh should act on the aid and advice of an elected Assembly to prevent conflicts witnessed in some other Union Territories.
According to the list of demands, the new setup must include a directly elected Ladakh Legislative Assembly headed by a Chief Minister and supported by a Council of Ministers. The groups stressed that the legislature must be elected through properly delimited constituencies, with its legislative, executive, and financial powers expressly defined in the Constitution, drawing safeguards similar to Articles 371A, 371F, and 371G in force in other states.
They also demanded that the Lt. Governor of UT Ladakh should act on the aid and advice of the Assembly to preempt conflicts seen in some other UTs.
The LAB and KDA further demanded that the Assembly have constitutionally protected control over taxation, budget, appropriation, expenditure, borrowing, and public funds, including a Consolidated Fund and a Contingency Fund.
They also sought that Home Affairs be placed “substantially under the democratic control” of the elected government and the Ladakh Legislative Assembly, citing Articles 162, 163, and 166(3), and pointing to models such as Puducherry and the erstwhile Union Territory of Mizoram.
The groups also demanded the creation of a separate Public Service Commission along with distinct Ladakh Administrative and Police Services and Ladakh‑specific cadres. (KNO)