Financial decisions will rest with elected leaders: Sonam Wangchuk on Ladakh’s agreement with Centre

New Delhi: Following a meeting with the Centre, renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, on Saturday, emphasised that decisions over the finances of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh will now be taken by the elected representatives and no longer by the Lieutenant Governor.

His reaction comes after the Central government and the representatives of Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) reached an understanding in principle which will give the UT an elected chief minister with powers on bureaucracy, a legislative body and protections under Article 371. Wangchuk was also part of the discussions.

Speaking to IANS, Wangchuk said: “The Central government’s argument was that Ladakh does not have the revenues to bear operational expenses like salaries or pensions at this stage. The Centre said that it cannot bear 100 per cent of the budget, and a state has to have its own resources.”

Regarding the Centre’s proposal, he said that it has been decided to have a UT-level Assembly or law-making body where elected representatives from Ladakh will make laws for the region, using Article 371 as a measure of safeguard for environment, land, culture and nature.

The climate activist highlighted: “Another very important feature, which was not true so far, was that the government accepted that this body, the chief of this body, which may be called the chief minister, will have supremacy or control over the entire bureaucracy, which means the chief secretary and all the bureaucrats, which was not the case earlier.”

Wangchuk underlined that decision over the finances of the UT of Ladakh will be taken by these elected representatives.

He noted that earlier 90 per cent of the UT’s budget was decided by the LG who is not an elected representative.

“Now in this set-up, 100 per cent of the budget will come to this body and its elected leaders, and they will take the financial decisions,” he said.

He also mentioned: “Financial, executive and law-making powers will rest with this legislative body.”

The climate activist called the decision “progress in the right direction”.

“Details are yet to be worked out,” Sonam Wangchuk said.

Further, the social activist said that studies will be conducted to understand if Ladakh truly does not have the resources to support full statehood.

“If it does, then these things may change, but if it does not then this is the mechanism that we have worked out,” he asserted.

IANS