On Monday (June 7), the Labour and Employment Department of the Ladakh administration has announced that all jobs would be reserved for the locals in the Union Territory.
As per reports, the local administration has enacted the Union Territory of Ladakh Employment (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules 2021, reserving 100% jobs for local people in Ladakh.
In a tweet by the Department of Information and Public Relations Leh, it said, “UT #Ladakh has formulated the Union Territory of Ladakh Employment (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules 2021. Jobs would be reserved exclusively for locals.” The rules were formulated by Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur as promulgated by S.O 282(E) dated 21.01.2020. It would come into force from the date of the release of the Official Gazette.
https://twitter.com/DIPR_Leh/status/1402305877168721922?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwClause 11 of the notification read, “No person shall be qualified for appointment to the service unless the person is a resident of Union Territory of Ladakh.” Besides, the new notification emphasised that those already appointed for a post in the Jammu and Kashmir Employment (Subordinate) Service cadre, as per Section 89(2) of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, will be deemed as appointed since the constitution of the Service. reportedly, this has been a long-standing demand of the people of Ladakh.
While speaking about the matter, Feroz Ahmed Khan said, “It was our demand since the bifurcation of J&K almost two years ago. It’s a welcome move…At present, the state land of the UT comes under twin elected councils, Leh and Kargil. However, private land does not have any protection.”
He added that the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil would (LAHDC) also demand relaxation in the upper age limit in new recruitments and the framing of rules for local governance. Khan is the Chief Executive Councilor of LAHDC.
Abrogation of Article 370, creation of separate Ladakh UT
In the manifesto, BJP had promised to repeal Article 370 from the state of Jammu and Kashmir that gave it special status. On 5th August 2019, the BJP-led Union government fulfilled the promise. The state was divided into two Union Territories, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir, under Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. The decision came into effect on 31st October 2019.