SRINAGAR — In an effort to break the prolonged deadlock over Ladakh’s political and administrative demands, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has scheduled a high-level meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) for May 20 in New Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.
An official communication was sent to all stakeholders on Friday. Chering Dorjay Lakruk, co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), confirmed receiving the invitation, stating that LAB will finalize its response after consulting with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) during a joint session in Kargil scheduled for tomorrow.
This gathering will mark the first formal engagement between the Centre and Ladakh representatives since January 15. Although a follow-up dialogue was initially planned for mid-February, it failed to materialize, leading to rising frustration among the two local bodies.
The LAB and KDA, who have been at the forefront of Ladakh’s political movement, continue to push a four-point charter of demands:
- Full statehood for Ladakh
- Inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution
- Establishment of a separate Public Service Commission (PSC)
- Allocation of two Lok Sabha seats to the Union Territory
One of the main issues stalling negotiations is the definition of domicile for government employment. The MHA is reportedly advocating a 15-year residency rule, modeled after Jammu and Kashmir. However, LAB and KDA remain firm on their demand to limit eligibility to individuals who have been residing in Ladakh since 1989. While there are hints the government might consider extending the eligibility period to 20 years, no formal announcement has been made yet.
