Ladakh's Chief Secretary has urged residents to take an active part in the forthcoming elections, while assuring stakeholder consultations on key policy matters, including excise policy and rules governing Nautor land. Panchayat and Leh and Kargil municipal polls are set for November 21, and the elections to all eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) will be held on December 4.
The LAHDC seats have risen from 52 to 100 following the split of the union territory into eight districts. Constituencies have been delimited on the basis of population and existing halqas and wards. Nominations for the LAHDC polls close on November 17, and candidates may withdraw up to November 20. The administration has said the full election process will be completed before December 8.
Several seats have already been filled without a contest. In the panchayat elections, 55 of the 192 Sarpanch seats were won unopposed, while 137 are being contested. Of the 1,428 Panch seats, 1,186 have been filled unopposed. In the municipal polls, all 21 wards in Leh are contested, whereas in Kargil four of the 17 wards have been filled without opposition.
The LAHDC elections mark a notable step for women's representation, with 36 of the 100 seats reserved for women for the first time. Because polling will take place in winter, the administration has ordered heaters at polling stations and separate queues for senior citizens. Panchayat polls have not been held in Ladakh for the past three years, and the administration has described the creation of eight new district councils as a democratic milestone.
On excise policy, the administration has consulted women's representatives and other stakeholders on their concerns. The Chief Secretary has said a review will follow the elections, as the Model Code of Conduct currently prevents changes. Tourism is considered central to the territory's economy and to the livelihoods of many residents, and the review is expected to take that into account.
A draft set of Nautor land regulations seeks to regularise long-held Nautor land that lacks legal titles. Public input is being sought on the rates proposed for regularisation. The treatment of land held by universities, educational institutions and religious bodies is also under consideration. The final rules will be framed after consultation with the newly elected councils.
The new LAHDCs will retain their existing statutory powers and will also receive district panchayat powers under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. The January to March period will be available to the councils for preparing next year's budget, giving the newly elected bodies time to take up the policy matters now pending before the administration.
Source: kashmirmediawatch.com
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