Ladakh leaders reject MHA’s draft to grant constitutional status to UT‑level elected body

The Ministry of Home Affairs' October 15 draft to give constitutional status to a Union Territory‑level elected body in Ladakh has been rejected by Ladakh leaders. The draft creates a new Article 371K and limits the body's law‑making power to "regulations" on subjects such as land, community land, cultural affairs, non‑reserved forests, environmental planning, conservation, development and budgeting, with further matters possible through a Presidential regulation under Article 240. It requires every regulation to be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for assent and allows the LG to remove members on grounds of conviction, insolvency, incapacity or conflict of interest. The Union executive could issue directions to the body and the Administrator would retain oversight powers. Ladakh leaders say this departs from the May 22 negotiations recorded in minutes signed on July 3, which had agreed on a customised UT‑level body with executive, financial and legislative powers and constitutional safeguards under Article 371K. Those minutes also gave the elected executive control over bureaucracy, transfers, postings and a separate Ladakh cadre with an independent public service commission. The draft instead proposes a Chief Executive Secretary heading the secretariat, falling short of the wider administrative control sought. The proposal also states that central laws will continue to apply and that the body's regulations will not affect Parliament, courts, the central government or the Administrator, differing from the stronger protection offered by Article 371A in Nagaland. Documents released by Apex Body Leh chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook on Thursday show the draft and the exchange of views, after a scheduled Delhi meeting on October 22 failed to happen and Leh talks on October 15 ended without agreement. ## Context