In a move that could bring cheers to the residents of Ladakh, the Union Territory (UT) has reserved all government jobs for the locals. The new Recruitment Rules were announced by Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur on Tuesday.
The population of Ladakh, which comprises the districts of Leh and Kargil, is around 2.8 lakh as per the last census.
The reservation of jobs was one of the key demands of the Leh People’s Movement comprising all political parties and the influential Ladakh Buddhists Association. The People's Movement was formed last year to demand protection of jobs and ownership of land to the locals of the region.
Ladakh was made a UT after the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir under the State Reorganisation Act on August 5, 2019.
A UT status for Ladakh was a long pending demand of the Buddhists of the region. However, the majority Muslims, who constitute around 46 per cent of the population and live mostly in Kargil, didn’t support the demand. The leaders of Kargil had opposed the UT status to Ladakh and demanded the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir that includes Ladakh also.
The Buddhists had initially welcomed the UT status to the region. However, after it became clear that the region would be directly controlled by the Centre and the Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, which had financial and legislative powers, ceased to exist, the political and religious organisations formed a People’s Movement to demand guarantees from the Centre against the settling of outsiders in the region and taking away their land.
The People’s Movement called off their boycott to local elections after the Centre assured them that their demands would be looked into favourably.
By reserving jobs for the locals, the Centre has addressed a key demand of the People’s Movement.
The Service Rules were issued by the LG office, a copy of which is with THE WEEK, under a notification which said, “No person shall be qualified for appointment to the service unless the person is a Resident of Union territory of Ladakh.”
It said the Rules means the UT of Ladakh Employment (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules. A resident of the UT means any person who satisfies the criteria of residence as may be prescribed for the purpose of employment.
The Rules will not apply to persons allotted service in Ladakh under the provisions of Section 89(2) of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, or such Rules as may be prescribed by the Administration, it said.
The notification further said that the appointment to the service shall be made by direct recruitment; or by promotion provided that the terms and manner of appointment by absorption shall be as notified by the Administration by a general or special order.
The competent authority to appoint a person to the service by absorption shall be the UT administration.
Persons who have already been appointed to a post in the cadre of J&K Employment (Subordinate) Service and then allotted for service in the Ladakh in accordance with the provisions of Section 89(2) of the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019, shall be deemed to have been appointed to the Service at the initial constitution.
The eligibility, age limit and other qualifications for direct recruitment shall be as prescribed by the administration.
According to sources, more details regarding the Recruitment Rules will be released in the next few weeks.
