Ladakh: Satisfied, but statehood main issue, says Buddhist association
'The Centre's notifications on domicile law prescribing 15-year residency with prospective effect and 85% reservation to locals in jobs have been accepted by us,' he said. 'However, conditions like having studied for seven years and appeared in class 10 and 12 exams were not discussed by the Union ministry of home affairs with us. We will take up these clauses with the government,' he added. The former minister, who is also a member of the LAB, admitted that the LAB and KDA had arrived at a unanimous consensus for either taking 1989 as a cut-off year or 30-year prospective residency for the domicile law.
'But the government (Centre) didn't agree upon 1989 as the cut-off year. On 30-year prospective residency, the Centre told us that it will be a time consuming exercise involving law ministry and other allied departments. Though the Centre has assured us to do it, we also realised that we could not waste further time. We have already waited for six years and the career of our youth is at stake. For the past over six years, not a single gazetted job has been given in Ladakh,' he added.
The LBA chief elaborated that 15 year prospective residency will come into effect from October 31, 2019. On public service commision in Ladakh, he informed that the Centre has given them three options of UPSC directly conducting Ladakh's exams, Ladakh having its own PSC or J&K PSC conducting exams for Ladakh. 'We have conveyed that any of the three options deemed appropriate by the Centre is acceptable to us,' he said.
However, the veteran leader amply made it clear that statehood and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution remain the core agenda for Ladakh people. 'Talks are yet to take place on statehood and Sixth Schedule. We also want an additional Lok Sabha constituency for the region, but that's not possible before 2026 because of a rider imposed by the Supreme Court,' he said.
Ladakh as of date has only one parliamentary constituency. In 2023, the Union home ministry had formed a high-powered committee under minister of state Nityanand Rai to discuss ways to protect Ladakh's unique culture.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
33 minutes ago
- Hans India
Supreme Court To Hear Challenges Against Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision
Multiple petitions challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of Bihar's electoral rolls are scheduled for hearing in the Supreme Court today. The legal challenge comes from various quarters including transparency advocacy group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and several political parties who have termed the exercise both "arbitrary" and "unconstitutional." The controversy centers around the Election Commission's June 24 announcement of a comprehensive revision of voter lists ahead of Bihar's assembly elections scheduled for October-November. This Special Intensive Revision represents an unprecedented approach where all registered voters must re-establish their eligibility through fresh documentation and applications. The Election Commission has defended this exercise by pointing to several factors including rapid urbanization and migration patterns, the need to include newly eligible 18-year-olds and previously unregistered citizens, unreported deaths in voter records, and concerns about foreign illegal immigrants appearing on voter rolls. The commission aims to complete draft electoral rolls by August 1, followed by a period for objections and scrutiny. Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised serious concerns about the implementation and potential consequences of this revision. They argue that the process fundamentally shifts the burden of proof onto individual citizens, requiring them to submit fresh applications with documentary evidence of citizenship by July 25, 2025. The requirements exclude commonly held documents like Aadhaar cards and ration cards, instead mandating proof of parents' identity and other documentation that may be difficult to obtain. The petitioners argue that this approach violates Article 32 of the Constitution and undermines the universal right to adult suffrage. They contend that given Bihar's high rates of migration and displacement, requiring documents dating back decades could potentially disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. The timeline for completion has also been criticized as unrealistic, requiring the training of approximately 100,000 Block Level Officers within a month during Bihar's monsoon and flood season. The legal challenge has been accompanied by political protests, with the INDIA bloc organizing a 'Bihar bandh' on July 9 to oppose the revision exercise. Opposition leaders including Congress's Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav have participated in demonstrations against what they view as a systematic attempt to manipulate voter rolls. The Election Commission has remained firm in its position, citing Article 326 of the Constitution which defines voter eligibility criteria. The commission has also claimed that over 57% of the state's 7.9 million current voters have already submitted new enumeration forms, with scrutiny of these applications now underway. The Supreme Court's decision on these petitions could have significant implications for how electoral roll revisions are conducted across India and may influence the timeline for Bihar's upcoming assembly elections.
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Govt has taken proactive measures to support mango farmers: Minister
Chittoor: Transport Minister and Chittoor district in-charge Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said that the government was working with genuine intent to resolve the issues faced by mango farmers and has taken proactive measures to ensure that farmers do not suffer due to price fluctuations arising from a bumper crop. In a statement on Wednesday, the Minister criticised former chief minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for using his visit to Bangarupalem for political gains, claiming the trip was intended to stir unrest rather than sincerely support mango farmers. He noted that while last year the production of Totapuri mangoes stood at only 2.5 lakh metric tonnes, this year it has surged to 6.5 lakh metric tonnes. To shield farmers from distress sales, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has extended full support to mango farmers by announcing a support price. Following the directions of the State government, district administrations are implementing necessary steps. The government is offering a subsidy of Rs 4 per kg for Totapuri mangoes, and efforts are being made to ensure that pulp factories and traders purchase the crop at no less than Rs 8 per kg. 'We have taken steps to ensure that farmers receive at least Rs 12 per kg,' the minister said. He also informed that the State had already written to the Central government last month, seeking Rs 130 crore under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) as the Centre's share. So far, a total of 3,08,261 metric tonnes of mangoes have been procured by traders and pulp processing units in the districts of Chittoor, Annamayya, and Tirupati. Among these, Chittoor topped the list with 1.65 lakh metric tonnes, followed by 45,000 metric tonnes in Tirupati and 16,400 metric tonnes in Annamayya district. An additional 81,000 metric tonnes of mangoes were sold to other States through ramps and market yards, the Minister added. Purchases have been made from 50,922 farmers so far. To protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh mango growers, the State government has taken steps to restrict the entry of Totapuri mangoes from neighbouring States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Minister Ramprasad Reddy also stated that the challenges faced by mango pulp industries were being addressed. The State government has already urged the Centre to reduce the GST on mango pulp from 12 percent to 5 percent, he added.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"Indus Water Pact Suspension Must Be Utilised": Punjab Amid Water Row With Haryana
The opportunity of the Indus Water Treaty Suspension must be duly utilised to fulfil the water needs of Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said, as he held a meeting with his Haryana counterpart Nayab Saini to resolve the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) dispute. The recent decision by the Centre to suspend the Indus Water Treaty opens up the possibility of greater utilisation of water from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) within Indian territory, Mr Mann said, referring to the suspension of the pact with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Punjab, which is currently facing groundwater depletion, must be prioritised in any future strategies for the usage, diversion, or allocation of river waters, he added. The Chief Minister mooted the idea of Yamuna-Satluj Link (YSL) canal instead of Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project. "Haryana and Punjab are brothers. Now this fight should end. There has always been politics over the matter. Both the states have been fighting for 2 MF water, but if the canal comes from Kashmir, we will get 23 MF water," he said. The controversial 1981 water-sharing agreement came into being after Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. For effective allocation of water, SYL canal link was conceptualised. A stretch of 214 km SYL was set to be built, of which 122 km were to be in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. In 2004, the then Congress government of the state came out with the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act with an intention to terminate the 1981 agreement and all other pacts relating to sharing of waters of rivers Ravi and Beas. The Supreme Court had first decreed the suit of Haryana in 2002 asking Punjab to honour its commitments with regard to water sharing in the case. Punjab challenged the verdict by filing a suit which was rejected in 2004 by the Supreme Court. During the meeting that was convened by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, Mr Mann reiterated that Punjab has no spare water to share with any other state and there was no question of sharing even a single drop of water with anyone. Most of the state's blocks are overexploited, and the groundwater situation in the state is dire, he said. The Chief Minister said the SYL canal is an 'emotive issue' and that Punjab will face serious law and order problems, which will escalate into a national issue, with Haryana and Rajasthan also being affected. He and Mr Saini, however, express confidence that the dispute will be resolved soon. The next meeting is scheduled to be held on August 5. Mr Saini said a meaningful discussion took place in a cordial atmosphere in the meeting. He said Mr Mann acknowledged that this issue should be resolved, as it has remained pending for far too long. Mr Saini also said that Punjab and Haryana are like brothers, and even today, they share a common space with mutual respect and harmony. Discussions in the next meeting are expected to lead to a better solution and yield positive results, he said. The meeting was also attended by Union Secretary Debashree Mukherjee, Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary of Irrigation and Water Resources Department Anurag Aggarwal, along with several senior officials from the Irrigation Department. Meanwhile, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre should now move ahead from such meetings. "The (top) court had handed over the responsibility of getting Haryana's share of water to the central government. The BJP is in power both in Haryana and at the Centre. In such a situation, Haryana should have got its share of water by now. But due to BJP's anti-Haryana attitude, this could not happen. Now, if the government is talking about it, then it should directly file a contempt of court case," he said. Indian National Lok Dal MLA Rania Arjun Chautala accused Mr Mann of doing politics over the issue. "Water is a natural resource over which the entire country has rights, not just of a state. SYL is the lifeline of Haryana. Haryana's right. Haryana should get water. The central government should resolve the water sharing issue," he said.
