No word yet on next round of talks
Fresh confrontation appears on cards
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 15: Once again, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the combination of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) appeared to be on the path of confrontation with MHA in no mood to consider the demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status though they haven’t rejected them and the twin Ladakh bodies refusing to listen the alternatives like giving immense powers to the Hill Councils and changing their nomenclature.
Sources well versed with the ongoing developments which have gained pace after February 4 meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) held at New Delhi and chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, told the Excelsior that the LAB and KDA have outrightly rejected the proposal for strengthening Hill Councils and granting them powers almost equivalent to that of the Government as an alternative to Statehood.
“We refused to listen to the MHA proposal for empowering Hill Councils. That is not our demand,” LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told the Excelsior while maintaining that their core demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status haven’t been rejected by the MHA.
A controversy erupted after reports that the MHA has outrightly rejected the demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh but Chief Secretary Ladakh Ashish Kundra categorically rejected the reports. The LAB and KDA leaders also made it clear that their demands haven’t been rejected at the HPC meeting on February 4 though the MHA offered Councils with powers “which we refused to listen”.
The LAB and KDA are waiting for next round of meeting with the MHA which was promised to them within next 15-20 days during February 4 dialogue. However, if the meeting is delayed, the LAB and KDA are expected to hold their joint meeting to discuss future course of action. Presently, the KDA is in mourning following sudden demise of its chairman Qamar Ali Akhoon a day before. The twin bodies have not received any word so far on next round of talks.
As per the official information, the Central Government is even ready to give rank and powers of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of the Councils besides adequate financial powers.
However, the sources admitted that the proposal is not acceptable to LAB and KDA and they have made it clear that they stand for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Presently, Ladakh has two Autonomous Hill Development Councils including Leh and Kargil. While the Kargil Council is in place, Leh Council ceased to exist in October, 2025 after completion of its five-year term as fresh elections were not held to it due to announcement of five new districts for Ladakh.
The MHA had announced five new districts for Ladakh on August 26, 2024 including Sham, Changthang and Nubra in Leh and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil. This will take number of total districts in Ladakh to seven.
Sources said the Centre is ready to give Hill Councils to all seven districts if there is consensus but no formal decision has been taken in this regard. As an alternative, two Councils can be given to Leh and Kargil with five other districts, after their formal creation, can become part of the twin Councils.
“The Centre is ready to vest the Councils with immense financial and administrative powers with enough safeguards,” the sources said.
A draft proposal was submitted by the LAB and KDA to the MHA in November last year seeking Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the Constitution, thus giving it a tribal status.
The last talks were held on October 22, 2025.
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