After three days of shutdown life returns to normal in Kargil
Kargil: Life returned to normal on Friday in this border district of Ladakh Union Territory (UT) after remaining crippled due to strike for three days.
Black-day was observed in Kargil district on Thursday, when R K Mathur took oath of office as first Lt Governor of the UT Ladakh at Leh.
A delegation of Kargil presented a memorandum to Mathur immediately after he assumed office as Lt Governor yesterday. According to delegation members, Lt Governor assured them that he will look into their demands.
“We are suspending our agitation for some times to allow smooth conduct of class 4th interviews in the district,” the sponsors of the Kargil agitation said on Friday.
They threatened that if their demands are not met, the agitation will be further intensified.
Shops and business establishments reopened this morning and traffic was also plying normally after remaining suspended for three consecutive days.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Kargil, heading the agitation had called for a three-day strike from October 29 alleging that assurance given by then Governor Satya Pal Malik and state Chief Secretary about 14 point demands were not fulfilled so far. Secretary JAC KargilNasirHussainMunshi alleged that assurance given to people of Kargil district were not fulfilled by the government.
When divisional status was granted to Ladakh region, people of Kargil voiced their concern and wanted to remain with the Kashmir valley. However, protest was withdrawn after it was agreed that Divisional Commissioner will stay for six months each on rotational basis at Leh and Kargil.
He said after the UT was announced for Ladakh, people of Kargil again hit the streets demanding justice as it was announced that Lt Governor and other senior top bureaucrats will function from Leh. It was only after Mr Malik and Chief secretary visited Kargil and met JAC and other representatives, a 14 charter of demands was presented before them. Governor agreed to immediately address the grievances which are within the jurisdiction of state and approach centre to resolve other demands of the JAC before October 31st, Munshi claimed.
He said we demand that the office of Lt Governor and other bureaucrats should also function on rotational basis—six months in Leh and six months in Kargil.
MrMunshi said we also demand guarantee that land and employment rights of people of Kargil will not be affected after UT. He feared that after scrapping of special status of the state, anyone can buy land and get employment in Ladakh.
He said since our students cannot compete with the students of other parts of the country who are getting better educational opportunities, we demand a local Service Selection Board (SSB) for Leh and Kargil. The youths of Kargil will lose employment opportunities to outsiders if SSB was not set up locally, he alleged. (Agencies)
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