Leh: The government is moving towards a decision to constitute a Union Territory-level body in Ladakh, elected directly through constituencies, that would be vested with legislative and financial powers, Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, said on Thursday.
A meeting of the Ladakh sub-committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs was held yesterday. It was attended by the leadership of the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
"A meeting of the sub-committee was held yesterday at the Ministry of Home Affairs, attended by the leadership of the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance from Ladakh. Building upon the progress made in the previous meeting, discussions focused on establishing constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, specifically, incorporating a special provision under Article 371 to protect the interests of the local population," Kundra said.
"We are moving towards a decision to constitute a Union Territory-level body, elected directly through constituencies, that would be vested with legislative and financial powers. The next meeting is scheduled for October, and we hope that an advanced draft of the Constitutional Amendment Bill will be ready by then," he added.
The Chief Secretary's remarks signify the Centre offering a constitutional provision to provide additional protections to Ladakh.
The Government has stated earlier that it stands committed to the aspirations of people of Ladakh by providing adequate constitutional safeguards. (ANI)
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