Kargil Council seeks divisional HQ in dist

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 6

Hoping that the Governor’s administration may announce separate divisional status for the Ladakh region, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, on Thursday unanimously resolved to urge the government for setting up the expected divisional headquarters and a full-fledged university at the “centrally located district”.

The two resolutions, however, are likely to create a major controversy in Ladakh and will further create a wedge between Leh and Kargil districts, which are currently at loggerheads on many issues, including the sensitive issue of UT demand for Ladakh as the representatives of Leh residents are expecting to have headquarters in the town.

The Kargil Council, however, also gave two more options, including the establishment of the headquarters of the divisional administration on a rotation basis for six months each at Kargil and Leh districts as per the procedure adopted for the Durbar move between Kashmir and Jammu divisions, and consultations between the two Councils before taking a final decision.

“As the Governor’s administration is considering the demand for the divisional status to Ladakh, all councillors unanimously resolved to request him for setting up the headquarters of the expected divisional commissioner’s office at Kargil, considering its centrality and equal distance from Srinagar, Leh and Zanskar,” Feroz Ahmad Khan, chief executive councillor (CEC), Kargil Council, told The Tribune after a special meeting of the General Council.

He, however, said the Council had proposed a second option of rotational headquarter, six months each at Leh and Kargil district headquarters, to avoid any confrontation between the two districts.

The Council also resolved to establish a full-fledged central university for Ladakh at Kargil, keeping in view the present enrolment ration of students at the off-site campus, degree college, Kargil, and higher secondary schools as compared to Leh.