Centre Says "No Outsider Bought Land In Ladakh" Amid Statehood Demand

Just when demands for statehood and special status under sixth schedule of Constitution are resonating in Ladakh, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that neither any land has been bought by an outsider nor any outside company has invested in the union territory since 2019.

"As per the information provided by the Union Territory of Ladakh, no land has been bought by persons from outside the UT during the last three years Also no Indian companies, including multinational companies, have invested in the UT during the last three years," Minister of State (Home Affairs) Nityanand Rai informed Rajya Sabha.

This statement assumes importance as Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) - two representative organisations from the region which have steered protests in the past over demands of statehood - have been demanding that its land, employment and cultural identity should be protected under the sixth schedule.

Meanwhile, NDTV has learnt that the stalemate between Centre and agitating bodies of Leh and Kargil has ended and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a revised proposal from the organisation, amid an intensifying agitation, demanding statehood and special status.

"Both bodies are scheduled to meet soon to chalk out fresh proposal," Lakrook Tshering, LBA vice president, told NDTV.

According to him, the MHA wants them to highlight what provisions in terms of safeguards they want in the sixth schedule. "Provisions under sixth schedule are separate for states in North East. MHA wants us to spell out our priorities," he explained.

Earlier this month, Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor, Brigadier (Retd) BD Mishra, met top officials in New Delhi and briefed them about what efforts the administration is putting to end the impasse.

Before the meeting in New Delhi, the LAB leaders had briefed the Lt governor on their four-point agenda, which included statehood for Ladakh, safeguards under the sixth schedule, two parliamentary seats for the union territory and employment opportunities for the locals.

The LBA also submitted names of leaders to be incorporated in the high-powered committee of the MHA for talks.

"New LG is a soldier so we trust him that he will not dilute our demands," another senior leader from KDA said.

The Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was scrapped on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two UTs -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Following the Constitutional change in October 2020, the Union Home Ministry issued a notification stating that any Indian citizen can buy land, except agricultural, in municipal areas of Jammu and Kashmir without being a domicile