Kargil gets rotational divisional headquarters

Commissioner and IGP of Ladakh have been asked to equally divide their time between Kargil and Leh.

Srinagar: Governor Satya Pal Malik has finally decided to rotate the divisional headquarters between Leh and Kargil. Earlier, Malik met the members of the All-Party Coordination Committee from Kargil, headed by Legislative Council chairman Haji Anayat Ali, who raised the demand for it.

The Governor has said that newly-created administrative/revenue division of Ladakh will have its headquarters jointly at Leh and Kargil. He said that there will be offices at both places in Leh and Kargil. The government has also decided to post two additional Divisional Commissioners in Leh and Kargil.

On the demand of the Kargil delegation, the Governor has ordered that Divisional Commissioner and IGP of the newly-created Ladakh division to equally divide their time between Kargil and Leh. However, the government said that periodicity of this will be determined by the committee already constituted to look into the demands of Kargil people.

The committee, constituted by State Administrative Council headed by the Governor, has already asked the Principal Secretary for Planning to examine and report how the periodicity of the sittings of the Divisional Commissioner and the IGP at Leh and Kargil—should it be weekly or fortnightly, etc —can be determined.

It has also asked the committee to identify the posts of divisional level heads of various departments that may be required for the new Ladakh division, their equitable locations at Kargil and Leh and their staffing pattern. The committee has been asked to submit its report by 24 February.

The Governor’s administration has said that they will immediately provide Rs 200 crore to a separate account to convert the Kargil airport to a full-fledged civilian airport which can handle medium body airplanes like Boeing and Airbus.

Malik has also asked the Secretary for Ladakh Affairs to constantly engage with LAHDC-Kargil and other representatives of the area to improve the development prospects of Kargil.

After meeting Malik, the Kargil delegation has expressed satisfaction with the latest decision of the Governor and has decided to call off all the agitation in the entire Kargil area.