New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah, during a meeting held on Wednesday, announced the decision form a committee headed by the Minister of States (MoS) Home G. Kishan Reddy to look into issues concerning the Union Territory of Ladakh.
According to a report in The Tribune, the Union home minister met a 10-member delegation from Ladakh at the North Block office, where representatives expressed concerns in connection with the conservation of their language, culture, and land.
The committee, which will aim to resolve issues related to the conservation of Ladakhi language, culture, ethnicity, land, jobs and participation of locals in development projects, will have elected members from Ladakh, members of the Ladakh Area Hill Development (LAHD) Council and ex-officio members representing the Government of India and the Ladakh administration.
“In view of the difficult geographical conditions and the strategic importance of Ladakh, all the representatives expressed their concern with respect to conservation of language, culture and land of Ladakh, participation of the people of Ladakh in its development, protection of employment and changes in the demography of Ladakh region. A protest was also held in this regard before the LAHDC [Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council] elections,” the home ministry said.
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“The members of this committee will consider the concerns expressed by the delegation and will make efforts to find an early solution to the same. The views of the committee would be given due consideration while taking a final decision,” a senior MHA official said.
“By conferring the UT status to Ladakh, the Modi government has shown its commitment towards fulfilling the long pending demands of the people of Ladakh,” Shah said and added that the Centre was committed towards the development of Ladakh and conservation of its land and culture.
Members of the delegation also said that the people of Ladakh needed protection in terms of employment and changes in the demography, given the difficult geographical conditions and strategic importance of Ladakh.
Leaders from the People’s Movement of the Union Territory of Ladakh have previously demanded the inclusion of the Union Territory under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution.
Last year, the BJP won 15 out of the 26 seats in the elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).