CS Ladakh reaffirms commitment to transparency, security & dev

Leh, Aug 24: In response to ongoing rumours causing concern within Ladakhi society, the Chief Secretary Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal convened a press briefing today via video conference from Delhi.The CS cautioned against rumour mongering, stressing that false information has the potential to create fear and panic among the public, he warned that deliberate attempts to spread panic would be dealt with strictly under the law.Addressing speculation regarding the dissolution of Hill Councils, the CS categorically stated that such rumours are totally baseless and figments of imagination of mischievous minds. He affirmed that the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) are the pride of Ladakh and that the UT Administration is committed to strengthen them, as the cornerstone of development in the region.Highlighting the ongoing recruitment drive, the CS said the Administration’s immediate focus is on ensuring fair and transparent recruitment for Ladakhi youth. So far, over 1,06,081 applications have been received for about 1385 non-gazetted posts under the UT and District cadres which have been advertised in the month of July 2025.  He also noted that the tourism sector, which had suffered setback due to the recent Indo-Pak conflict on May 2025, is now reviving, and the Administration is working assiduously to promote the tourism sector, which is largest employer outside government, in the UT of Ladakh with all its might, and needs no distractions.The CS appreciated the role of Lambardars (Goubas) who are quasi-government functionaries and urged them to remain vigilant, guiding the public with accurate information to prevent the spread of rumours.On the recent cancellation of land allotment to HIAL, he clarified that it was a unique case and has got cancelled under the “deemed to lapse” clause inbuilt in the allotment order itself. The DC Leh further explained that the decision followed multiple complaints received from the public in the past regarding the violations of allotment terms by the allottee. He added there are no other such land related issues in Ladakh and reiterated that UT Administration recognises the lands allotted to the public by the LAHDCs, who need not fear about the lands allotted to them by the LAHDCs under law. He informed that after UT Administration has empowered the DCs to allot 10 Marlas of land to the estate holders in a village under Common Lands Regulations Act for construction of houses on ‘state land’ which was 4 marlas earlier considering the need and benefit to public.Regarding the deployment of CRPF in Ladakh, the Chief Secretary explained that the decision was driven by multiple factors including the vast geography of Ladakh, increasing tourism with opening of new tourist destination and trekking routes after the abolition of the Inner Line Permit Regime in the UT of Ladakh and opening many areas to the foreigners under the relaxed Protected Area Permit regime to encourage tourism in the UT of Ladakh. He emphasised that Ladakh Police has limited manpower, and the additional force will strengthen policing, law and order, crime prevention, and security across the region.Dr Kotwal appealed to the public not to fall prey to misinformation, reassuring them that the police augmentation is solely to enhance safety and security of the local people and to the increasing number of tourists, visits of the VVIPs and increasing incidence of reported crimes and the drug menace. Responding to media queries, the DGP of Ladakh, Dr. Jamwal, stated that despite limited manpower, the Ladakh Police have successfully managed multifarious duties, including crime prevention, maintenance of law and order, tourism policing, highway patrolling, and more. He further informed that successive recruitment drives have been conducted to address manpower shortages.He clarified that the induction of CRPF companies in Ladakh is intended to augment the Ladakh Police in carrying out the wide range of duties they perform.Dr. Jamwal noted that the workload on the Police Department has increased with the establishment of various police wings to address the safety needs of both locals and tourists, all while operating under limited workforce and budget constraints.