Jammu, Feb 7 (PTI) Days after a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Saturday said he was optimistic about the outcome of the talks, indicating that the next round of discussions is likely to take place within the next 20 days.
He said the talks are being conducted within the framework of the Constitution and in the national interest, expressing confidence that the engagement with the stakeholders would lead to a positive and successful outcome.
A meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh, held on February 4 in Delhi, remained inconclusive, with two prominent groups from the Union Territory — the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — reiterating their demand for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region.
During the meeting chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, a first after last year’s clashes, both groups demanded that jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk be freed and 70 other detainees be released unconditionally.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union territory. The government had accused him of inciting the violence.
Rai, who is the chairman of the HPC, said he would convene another meeting where discussions would continue.
“The HPC meeting lasted for more than two-and-a-half hours and was held in a positive atmosphere. To the best of my knowledge, the next round of discussions is likely to take place within the next 20 days. The talks are being held within the framework of the Constitution and in the national interest, and I strongly believe that the talks will be successful,” the Lt Governor told PTI here.
He declined to comment on the demand raised by the groups regarding the release of Wangchuk, stating that the matter is before the Supreme Court and that he would not speak on an issue that is sub judice.
On centre allocating more than Rs 4,869 crore to Ladakh in the Union Budget 2026-27, a drop of around 33 per cent compared to the Revised Estimates of Rs 7,377.43 crore for the current fiscal, Gupta said he is thankful to the centre. “We know that whenever we place a demand for something, the Government of India fulfils it immediately.” In Ladakh, he said the working season is relatively short due to heavy snowfall, which makes road construction difficult during the major part of the year.
“Despite these constraints, continuous efforts are being made to achieve set targets. The Government of India is actively working to ensure road connectivity reaches every village. Significant development is also taking place in the fields of education and healthcare. We are confident that whenever demands are raised for more funds, the Government responds positively and fulfils them,” he said.
On inclusion of Leh Palace in the list of 15 archaeological sites proposed to be developed into vibrant cultural destinations, the Lt Governor thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and said the Union Territory holds significant potential for tourism growth.
“I believe such initiative would help promote tourism in the high altitude region substantially in the coming years,” he said.
Gupta said his administration is actively promoting several ancient monasteries and setting up cable car projects at various locations to attract more tourists to the region and ensure they stay put for a longer period to explore the area.
“In addition, winter tourism is being promoted. With the opening of the Zoji La tunnel, many new opportunities will emerge. Plans are also in place to develop rental facilities at various locations.
“Across Ladakh, efforts are being made to encourage tourism through homestays, enabling visitors to gradually travel deeper into the region, including remote and border villages,” he said.
He said Khelo India games are playing a significant role in this initiative as people from 21 states of the country visited the region.
“Winter games and adventure tourism will be further promoted in the coming years. Our objective is to ensure that people become familiar with the region, stay longer, and experience its unique culture and landscape. Overall, adequate budgetary allocations have been made to support these initiatives,” he said. PTI TAS TAS NB NB
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