Kargil Council passes proposal for Sikkim-like job quota
Amid an ongoing agitation in the Union Territory, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil has passed a proposal demanding Sikkim-like model of reservation for gazetted posts.
The council has also passed a proposal for separate Ladakh Services Cadre and relaxation in upper age limit for recruitment in the UT.
“The council calls for the adoption of the Sikkim model of reservation, which reserves gazetted posts for permanent residents of Ladakh. This measure will protect local employment opportunities and safeguard the interest of people of Ladakh, ensuring that residents are adequately represented in senior government roles. It will also help preserve Ladakh’s cultural and demographic identity while empowering the local youth to take leadership roles within the region,” the proposal reads.
Social and political groups in Ladakh backed by local residents have been protesting for the past nearly three years to include Ladakh in Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution, grant statehood and provide a separate Public Service Commission for the UT.
There are two Hill Councils, including one for Leh and the other for Kargil district of the UT. The resolution has been sent to the UT administration led by Lieutenant Governor Brig BD Mishra (retd).
The LAHDC Kargil has also recommended the creation of a separate Ladakh Services Cadre to ensure adequate representation of Ladakhis in administrative roles. “However, until the formation of a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh, the council suggests that the current cadre management for the gazetted posts should remain under the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) on the lines of dispensation adopted for the High Court of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” the resolution reads.
The hill council has also urged that the UT administration should not consider or decide on the inclusion of Ladakh in the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Services (DANICS) cadre, “as this would undermine the unique requirements and aspirations of the people of Ladakh given the fact that due to geographical constraints and limited opportunities, the aspirants are unable to compete with the people residing in other areas included in DANICS cadre”.
The council also passed a resolution for relaxation in the upper age limit for recruitment in government jobs. “Given the lack of recruitment in government employment in Ladakh since the creation of the UT, the council recommends that the UT administration should provide relaxation in the upper age limit for all government posts. This relaxation is crucial to ensure that aspirants who have been unable to apply for jobs in the past five years are not unfairly excluded from future recruitment opportunities,” it reads.
