Border standoff, demand for constitutional safeguards kept Ladakh in news in 2020
The demand for the constitutional safeguard gained momentum with the holding of election to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, which by the way was the primary democratic train in the union territory after being carved out of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kahmir in August 2019.
Lt Governor R Ok Mathur repeatedly assured the individuals in regards to the safety of tradition, land, surroundings and jobs.
“The Vision 2050 should reflect the reality of Ladakh, and strike a balance for the welfare of people. The Vision 2050 should be Ladakh-specific and in harmony with its unique culture and identity,” Mathur had lately stated, talking on the second planning board assembly to debate ‘Ladakh imaginative and prescient’ right here.
He stated the considerations of the individuals of Ladakh corresponding to safety of tradition, land, surroundings and jobs can be included as invaluable inputs in Vision 2050.
On the pandemic entrance, sparsely-populated Ladakh recorded the primary COVID-related demise in June when a veteran Congress chief and former union minister P Namgyal was examined constructive hours after his demise. However, the area, notably Leh district, witnessed a surge in the constructive circumstances in the later half, ending up with figures of over 125 deaths.
Twice declared coronavirus-free in the month of May regardless of evacuation of over 500 stranded pilgrims from Iran and a whole lot of others from totally different components of the nation amid strict lockdown, the union territory has to this point recorded a virus caseload of almost 9,500. However, an encouraging 97 per cent of the full rely has been cured of the an infection, officers stated.
The army face-off erupted on May 5 following violent clashes between the Indian Army and the Peoples Liberation Army of China in the Pangong lake space, which left 20 Indian troopers useless in one among such incidents in Galwan valley in jap Ladakh in June.
The Chinese facet additionally suffered casualties however there was no official phrase from Beijing. According to an American intelligence report, the variety of casualties on the Chinese facet was 35.
India and China have held a number of rounds of diplomatic and army talks in the previous couple of months to resolve the standoff. However, no concrete breakthrough has been achieved to this point.
A shadow of uncertainty hung over the LAHDC-Leh polls when an amalgam of varied political, spiritual and social organizations assembled beneath the banner of Peoples Movement for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh (PMSSL) in September and introduced a boycott of the elections to press for its varied calls for together with extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
However, a well timed intervention by Union Home Minister Amit Shah led to the withdrawal of the boycott name and profitable conclusion of the elections in October. The BJP received clear majority in the polls, securing 15 out of 26 seats leaving Congress at second spot with 9 seats.
After the preliminary spherical of talks with the house minister in Delhi in September earlier than withdrawing the boycott name, PMSSL headed by former Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang stepped up its actions again in the union territory and reached out to the management in Kargil to garner their assist for the demand.
Viewed as a big improvement, the apex-body of PMSSL and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) management determined to struggle collectively any legislation which might be thought of towards the pursuits of the individuals of the union territory.
The choice was taken at a joint assembly on December 2, a primary of its variety between the representatives of the 2 our bodies.
The individuals in Leh have been demanding inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard their tradition and id, the KDA had opposed the u ion territory standing to the area and has raised the demand for statehood for Ladakh.
In an interactive session organized by PMSSL in Leh on Tuesday, Chhewang stated they may method KDA to affix their delegation to satisfy the house minister on January 5.
However, KDA is ready for a separate invitation and a senior chief of the grouping stated they’re prepared for the talks supplied they get the invitation from the house ministry as they’re equal stakeholders in Ladakh.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who had joined a number of of his colleagues and nationwide leaders to marketing campaign for the occasion in the course of the polls, had assured the individuals of Ladakh that there isn’t a want to fret about their land and jobs because the Narendra Modi authorities would offer greater than what’s there in the sixth schedule.
In October, the J&Ok administration apportioned belongings, liabilities, posts of the erstwhile state between it and Ladakh. The apportionment got here into pressure with impact from October 31.
Despite difficult scenario resulting from outbreak of the pandemic which introduced life to a standstill for months collectively, Lt Governor Mathur toured totally different components of each the districts and reiterated the dedication of his administration in direction of equitable improvement of the area.
The LG administration intends to ascertain a UT secretariat, police headquarters and Raj Niwas at Kurbathang in Kargil after an settlement with the Army pertaining to land, for which discussions have already begun, the officers stated.
On the Smart Cities Mission, each Kargil and Leh have been chosen for sensible metropolis help, the officers stated, expressing hope that the subsequent yr would see a flurry of developmental actions and sufficient employment alternatives for the unemployed youth.
After the blast off ceremony in October, the development of Zojila Tunnel alongside 434-km Srinagar-Leh nationwide freeway was set in movement to supply all-weather street connectivity to the area which often stays reduce off from outdoors world with the closure of the freeway owing to heavy snowfall.
Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has fastened the goal of completion of the tunnel inside 4 years, whereas the contractual time-frame is of six years.
In November, Ladakh administration has rolled out its first tourism incentive coverage with stress on guaranteeing equitable and sustainable improvement of all areas, a transfer aimed toward creating infrastructure and attracting vacationers.
