SRINAGAR: Leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) held sub-committee-level talks with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in New Delhi on Wednesday.
During the meeting, MHA officials said the proposed UT-level elected body would have legislative powers over land, culture and language, forests, the environment, natural resources and any other subject matter reserved for the Union Territory under Article 240. Ladakh leaders, however, sought greater clarity on the issue of law and order.
The LAB and KDA have warned against any major or irreversible changes to governance mechanisms, land transfers and other key administrative matters before an elected Union Territory-level body is established, cautioning that such moves could compel them to call for public protests.
LAB chairman Chering Dorjey, KDA co-chairmen Asgar Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili, Ladakh MP Haji Haneefa Jan and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk attended the meeting with MHA officials in the national capital.
During the meeting, both sides held deliberations on key issues, particularly the proposed UT-level elected body for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards for the region through a special provision under Article 371.
“The MHA stated that the intended UT level body would be elected by direct election and would have legislative powers with respect to land, culture and language, forest, environment, natural resources, and any other subject matter reserved for the UT under Article 240,” said a joint statement issued by the LAB chairman and KDA co-chairmen.
According to the statement, the elected UT-level body would also have executive, budgetary, planning and financial powers.
However, the LAB and KDA observed that there was no clarity on several areas, including law and order, as seen in the Union Territory of Puducherry, which they said was necessary for proper governance.
The Ladakh leaders sought greater clarity on law and order, saying they wanted it to remain under the control of the elected government.
As per the statement, the MHA also assured the leaders that a compensation package would be provided to those who lost their lives or were injured in the September 2025 agitation.
Four people were killed and 80 others injured in police firing during one of the worst outbreaks of violence in Ladakh on September 24, 2025, during a protest in Leh seeking statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
The LAB and KDA sought the immediate withdrawal of all cases registered against people in connection with the September 2025 violence, rather than withdrawing them in phases.
The MHA, according to the LAB and KDA statement, assured the leaders that the matter was being looked into.
The MHA also assured the Ladakh leaders that further talks would be held in the first week of October, during which a draft Article would be discussed.
The MHA is expected to seek further comments from the LAB and KDA on some broader issues shortly.
The LAB and KDA unanimously stated that no major or irreversible restructuring of governance mechanisms, land transfers or other key administrative arrangements should be undertaken before an elected UT-level body is established.
The two organisations also said that if any such irreversible changes were made to the administrative or political setup of Ladakh before the UT-level democratic body was constituted, they would be compelled to call for public protests against such moves.
The LAB and KDA have been jointly spearheading an agitation in Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370, seeking a legislature and constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.
