Govt announces panchayat poll process in Ladakh to fill ‘democratic vacuum’, district council polls next
SRINAGAR: A day after a meeting between Ladakh representatives and officials of ministry of home affairs, the Ladakh administration Thursday announced that the govt was taking steps to address the democratic vacuum in the Union Territory and, to begin with, it would recommend to the Election Commission to initiate the panchayat election process.Speaking to media persons in Leh, chief secretary Ashish Kundra said the commission would undertake necessary revision of electoral rolls before issuing a formal notification.Currently, only the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil has an elected body. Elections to its counterpart in Leh could not be held following the Sept 24 violence last year, when four people were killed after the police allegedly opened fire on protesters demanding Sixth Schedule protection and statehood for the region.“There are panchayats, municipalities and district councils. Obviously, we will fulfil our constitutional and legal obligations. The central govt has made it clear that whatever can be done to strengthen democracy here should be done so that people shouldn’t feel their democratic aspirations are not being fulfilled. The first link in that process is panchayat elections, which will now be held,” Kundra said. The next step, he said, would be to establish district councils in all seven districts of Ladakh.About Wednesday’s meeting of MHA officials with the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the chief secretary said the discussions were held in an “open atmosphere”. The Ladakh representatives insisted on their demand for a legislative assembly headed by a chief minister and withdrawal of cases against all those booked in connection with the Sept 24 violence last year.
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Kundra said in the last meeting held on July 3, a consensus had emerged that a UT-level body would be formed. “It would be sui generis, meaning there would be no parallel or identical model elsewhere in India,” he said.Forming the proposed UT-level body would take time as it would require a constitutional amendment, Kundra said, adding: “At the same time, we do not want a democratic vacuum to be here. That is why we have decided to start the process of strengthening the existing democratic institutions.”
