 Early Times Report
Jammu, May 27: Agitating groups from Ladakh, including the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have reached a consensus with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ High-Powered Committee (HPC) to grant domicile status to individuals with 15 years of continuous residence in the Union Territory. The agreement, finalized during a meeting on May 27 at North Block, aligns Ladakh’s domicile policy with that of Jammu and Kashmir, though the groups’ demand for a 30-year residency requirement will undergo legal review.
The meeting focused on critical issues, including domicile rights, government job recruitment, and the establishment of a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC) for Ladakh. While the LAB and KDA initially advocated for a 30-year residency period for domicile eligibility, both parties agreed on a 15-year prospective period, starting from 2019.
“Consensus reached in today’s HPC meeting: To qualify as a domicile of Ladakh, a citizen must show continuous residence from 2019. The MHA agreed to review the legal aspects of our 30-year domicile proposal,” said Sajjad Kargili, a member of the agitating groups, in a social media post following the meeting.
The HPC meeting, originally scheduled for May 20, was postponed due to its proximity to the birth anniversary of revered Buddhist leader His Eminence Kushok Bakula Rinpoche on May 19. LAB Co-chairman Chering Dorjay had requested a rescheduling to May 23-24, but the MHA declined due to the unavailability of HPC chairman, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. The last formal meeting between LAB, KDA, and the MHA occurred on January 15, 2025, with a proposed February 15 follow-up abandoned in favor of backchannel talks to build consensus.
The LAB and KDA emphasized resolving domicile rights and reservations for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to facilitate government job advertisements, particularly for gazetted cadre posts, which have been stalled since Ladakh’s designation as a Union Territory on August 5, 2019. The groups had proposed recognizing individuals residing in Ladakh since 1989 as domiciles, contrasting with the 15-year rule applied in Jammu and Kashmir. The next HPC meeting, scheduled for next month, will focus on establishing a Public Service Commission to streamline recruitment in the region.
The consensus on the 15-year domicile rule is a pivotal step toward addressing Ladakh’s administrative and socio-economic challenges. The LAB and KDA remain hopeful that further discussions will advance their demands for statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, and enhanced opportunities for the region’s residents. |
