The Hindu : J&K Govt. gives more powers to Ladakh development council

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 30, 2002

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J&K Govt. gives more powers to Ladakh development council

By Shujaat Bukhari

JAMMU DEC. 29. The coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir today announced devolution of powers to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) of Leh district and said that Kargil would also get a similar council by June.

The decisions to grant powers and to make changes in the LAHDC Act, 1997 were taken at a Cabinet meeting here on Saturday. They were announced by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, at a press conference, where the Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, the LAHDC Chairman, Thupstan Chhewang, the Panther's Party chief, Bhim Singh, the People's Democratic Forum (PDF) leader, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, and two Ministers from Leh and Kargil were present.

The announcement, a New Year gift to the people of Ladakh region, comes in less than two months of the formation of the PDP-led coalition Government in the State.

The Mufti said that yet another pledge in the common minimum programme had been fulfilled. He said that the LAHDC Chief Executive Councillor would enjoy the status and the perks and salary of a Cabinet Minister and the Executive Councillors of Deputy Ministers within the Leh district for protocol purposes. The Executive Councillors would be given salary equivalent to that of an MLA, while the Councillors would get a salary of Rs. 6,000 per month. The changes in the Act followed discussions between the LAHDC members and the Finance Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Beig.

The people of Leh have been demanding the empowerment of the Council, which came into being in 1995, for long. The Chief Minister termed it "a major step in satiating the regional aspirations within the State".

The LAHDC would have the power to accord administrative approval without obtaining techno-economic feasibility from the Government for works up to Rs. 5 crore. Under Section 42 (2) of the LAHDC Act, 1997, executive powers would be delegated to the Council for allotment, occupation and efficient use and management of land. Sub-sections of the Act would be amended to make the functioning of the Council more effective. Section 33 would be amended to vest the powers of general superintendence and control over the employees of the Council in the Executive Councillors. However, the Superintending Engineer and the District Development Commissioner would be exceptions to such amendment.

Thanking Mr. Sayeed on behalf of the people of Leh, Mr. Chewang promised that Ladakh would soon become a model for the whole State. "It is a historical decision, which will go a long way in giving new directions to the State in development and prosperity, and similar measures for other regions would help solve the Kashmir problem." He said that almost all demands put forth by the LAHDC for strengthening the Council had been met and that "it is a good beginning".

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