Ladakh Chief Secretary: No mining or resource exploitation; region being developed as carbon-neutral

In a bid to dispel apprehensions that big business houses might come to exploit the natural resources of the environmentally fragile Ladakh, Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, on Saturday evening stated that “no mining or commercial exploitation of resources is being carried out and Ladakh is being developed as a carbon-neutral region.”

The Chief Secretary said all development activities would be based on community consultation and consent.

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Referring to the ongoing agitation in support of the demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, Dr. Kotwal said, “Allegations of demographic flooding or cultural homogenization are misleading. Ladakh’s identity and cultural heritage remain fully protected.”

He reiterated the Government’s commitment to constructive dialogue, protection of Ladakh’s land, resources, jobs, and livelihoods, and safeguarding its ecosystem and cultural identity.

“While constructive talks were progressing positively, certain sections attempted to derail the process, misled the public, and continued hunger strikes despite scheduled discussions. This led to the unfortunate law-and-order situation on September 24 and the tragic loss of four lives. Investigating agencies possess clear evidence regarding these events, and the truth about the firing incidents will emerge during the investigation,” he said.

Dr. Kotwal stressed that the entire episode could have been avoided had some leaders put Ladakh’s interests above personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike once the dialogue dates had already been fixed.

Providing updates on various issues concerning the Union Territory, Dr. Kotwal informed that out of the 70 youths detained after being misled by certain leaders for their personal and political gains, 30 have already been released. He assured that no innocent or misguided youngster would face hardship.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that the investigation would clearly establish how some leaders acted in a destructive manner and played with the future of Ladakh.

He said that the Government has been actively engaging with Ladakh leaders through both formal and informal talks. Even before the scheduled meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on October 6, preparatory meetings were slated for September 25 and 26, 2025.

“It is well known that the Government of India has engaged extensively in the dialogue process with the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the HPC, its sub-committee, and several informal meetings. The dialogue process has been fruitful,” he said.

“The dialogue mechanism has yielded significant results, including raising the Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation for Ladakh from 45% to 84% (including 4% for LAC reservation for STs); amending rules to ensure that the unfilled 10% EWS quota goes to general ST candidates in the same recruitment exercise; providing one-third reservation for women in the Councils; declaring Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of Ladakh; and recruiting 1,385 non-gazetted posts through District Recruitment Boards and the Ladakh Subordinate Services Staff Selection Board, in addition to 3,179 non-gazetted posts already filled between 2021 and 2024,” he stated.

Regarding the additional parliamentary seat, he said that the matter was discussed in the HPC and would be taken up during delimitation, as despite its small population, Ladakh remains a priority for the Government of India.

He added that all land powers remain with the respective Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs).

“The Government has always expressed its desire for open and constructive dialogue and has never avoided any meeting in this regard. The Government remains committed to addressing the aspirations of the people of Ladakh, particularly the younger generation, and will continue to work for the protection of their land, livelihoods, culture, and environment,” Dr Kotwal concluded.