Jammu, Feb 12: The Governor and the Government have taken note of the sentiments of the people of Kargil, following the decision to create a new Administrative / Revenue Division of Ladakh, official spokesperson of the government said on Tuesday.
The creation of the division has been a long standing need of the people of Ladakh, he said adding: “Ladakh has two districts, Kargil and Leh, and the Government is equally sensitive to the needs and aspirations of both districts. It is also aware of the administrative needs of the region and the connectivity challenges.”
The spokesperson said that it is with this in mind that the Government decision also included the formation of a Committee of very senior officers of the state to determine the location and scope and size of Division level offices, their staffing, size and most importantly, their location in the division.
“This Committee will submit its report only after interacting with all stakeholders and understanding their needs. It will submit this in a very short time. The Government urges all parties to be patient. Everyone’s interest will be taken care of as that is the objective of the Government,” he said.
Omar supports demand of rotational div hqrs
Monitor News Bureau
Srinagar, Feb 12: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday impressed upon governor administration to issue immediate orders of keeping newly announced Ladakh division headquarters on rotational basis between Leh and Kargil.
Omar Abdullah, in a statement, said that one fails to understand as to why the incumbent governor administration has tangled the decision of giving due share to Kargil in administrative “red-tapeism”.
“Government announcement of forming a committee of secretaries to look into the demand of rotational divisional headquarters is a measure to buy time. When the incumbent governor administration was mulling to grant divisional status to Ladakh then it should have taken into consideration the genuine sentiment of Leh, Kargil and other adjoining areas into consideration while deciding on the establishment of divisional headquarters,” he said.
Kargil too should have been given its due share which didn’t happen for reasons known to administration,” he said adding, “It seems the decision was taken in haste and is contrived to pitch one community against the other. Had the idea behind this act been to empower the people of Ladakh then the governor would have had large scale beforehand deliberations over the intricacies involved in the process.”
“Given the fact that people in Kargil and elsewhere in Jammu have taken out huge processions demanding due representation to Kargil underscores the point that incumbent administration has failed to gauge the repercussions of their ill-advised move of keeping headquarters permanently at Leh. It seems they are more interested in playing to galleries which unfortunately has pitted one region against another,” he said.
The NC Vice President said that the idea of keeping divisional headquarters at Leh only will serve no good to the people of kargil. “The distance between Leh and Kargil is greater than what it is between Srinagar and Kargil. It was rather easier for them to visit Srinagar than to visit Leh. Besides that the adjoining areas of Kargil district including Dras are much far off from Leh. Draas is comparatively closer to Srinagar than Leh.”
Omar said what people of Kargil are demanding is not laced with communal overtones. The decision will impede the developmental prospects of many adjoining areas of Kargil including Zanskar and Draas.
He said people across the political divide have come out in protest against the ill-conceived decision. “People are holding massive demonstrations against the move braving subzero temperature of minus seventeen. The move has distressed the people,” he said adding, “The governor should immediately concede to the demands of protesting people.”
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