Ladakh forms L-G’s Advisory Council, LAB, KDA left out

The Ladakh Administration has constituted a 15-member Lieutenant Governor’s Advisory Council, headed by the Lieutenant Governor, to advise the Union Territory on long-term planning, sustainable development, environmental protection, climate change and youth-centric initiatives.

Notably, no representative from the Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) or the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—the two key civil society groups engaged in dialogue with the Centre over Ladakh’s demands—has been included in the council. Among those appointed to the council are former IAS officer C Phunsog, former Indian Forest Service officer Tsewang Namgyal and Sheikh Nazir Mehdi, president of Islamia School, Kargil.

According to an order issued by the Planning Department on July 13, the council will advise the Administration on long-term vision, sustainable development, environmental protection and climate change. It will also recommend measures to promote youth employment, skill development, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The council has been tasked with suggesting strategies for economic growth while safeguarding local interests and livelihoods, besides advising on the preservation of Ladakh’s ecology, culture, heritage and indigenous traditions.

It will further recommend perspective planning for tourism, infrastructure, connectivity and regional development, and promote balanced, inclusive and climate-resilient development across Ladakh. It will also recommend integrated district-level development frameworks.

The council’s tenure will initially be one year, unless extended by the Administration.

Reacting to the development, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook said it was the first time such an advisory council had been constituted in Ladakh.

He alleged that the move, along with the decision to establish Autonomous Hill Development Councils in all seven districts, was intended to divert attention from Ladakh’s core political demands.