Sajid Raina
Leh, Oct 04: Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, on Saturday blamed certain leaders for misleading youngsters for personal and political gains, stating that 70 youth were detained in connection with the recent unrest in Leh. Of them, 30 have been released, while 40 remain in judicial custody awaiting court orders.
While addressing a press conference here, Dr Kotwal said, “The detained youth were misled by certain leaders. The government will ensure that no innocent person is wrongly implicated while in some cases we have evidence suggesting that some leaders played a role in provoking the unrest that led to the loss of four lives on September 24.”
Dr. Kotwal said, “Investigations will establish the role of these leaders in creating “a negative and destructive atmosphere and jeopardizing Ladakh’s future.” He stressed that innocent or misguided youth would not be subjected to any hardship. The Chief Secretary said the Government of India had been in regular discussions with the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance through the High-Powered Committee (HPC) and its subcommittee. “Meetings were held ahead of a scheduled HPC session on October 6, with prior sessions on September 25 and 26 in Delhi.”
He said that the government had accepted key demands of the local leadership, including raising ST reservation in jobs from 45% to 85%, along with 4% reservation for LAC-border residents and 1% for SCs.
“Recruitment for 1,385 non-gazetted posts had begun, along with 224 gazetted posts notified by the UPSC. These include medical officers, lecturers, and accounts officers,” he added.
Dr. Kotwal said the government resolved the domicile issue in May 2025, enabling earlier recruitment of 3,179 non-gazetted posts.
He said no powers of the Ladakh Hill Development Councils (LHDCs) have been taken away, and instead, their capex budget has risen nearly five-fold from rupees 150 crore to 2,750 crore.
He said LHDCs now manage about 30% of Ladakh’s total capex spending.
On cultural and environmental concerns, he said there has been no mining activity or commercial exploitation of resources. “Plans for solar parks and industrial development will involve local consultation,” he added.
He said the region is on a path toward carbon neutrality and Ladakh’s ecosystem and cultural identity will be protected.
Regarding the increase in Lok Sabha seats, he said the matter would be addressed during the delimitation process. On accusations of demographic changes, he said such claims are baseless and politically motivated. “Government remains committed to dialogue and will continue to address the aspirations of the people of Ladakh,” he added—(KNO)
