Even after passage of three months since erstwhile state was divided into two Union Territories (UTs)—J&K and Ladakh, a massive exercise is still underway to have a separate police force for Ladakh UT. To begin with, almost 187 policemen from Kashmir and Jammu, were repatriated from Ladakh while as a proposal was framed to set up a separate police unit in Ladakh UT.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), said that a detailed proposal has been framed by the Council in consultation with the district administration Leh and Kargil for establishing a separate police unit. “The proposal was submitted to the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandera Murmu for immediate action and follow up,” he said, wishing not to be named.
He said that the proposal entails setting new police stations, raising battalions including at least one women battalion, and establishing separate police headquarter as Ladakh is now a separate UT.
He said that initially, there is a dire need of going for a mass police recruitment with at least number of policemen between 2000 to 5000. “At present the strength of police men in Leh is very less. So, we have urged the LG Murmu for launching massive recruitment drives in Leh for raising the number of police men. Traffic wing of police has to be separate while as there is also a proposal for raising women police battalion to begin with,” he said.
A senior official in the Leh administration said that there is a proposal to set up at least 50 police stations in Leh and Kargil districts of the newly carved out UT. “The Ministry of Home Affairs has accepted the proposal and we are waiting for the release of funds to start work on construction of police stations in the twin districts of Leh and Kargil,” he said.
He said Leh and Kargil Police wings will be formed under the set rules of J&K Re-Organisation Act 2019. Ladakh was officially declared UT on October 31 with R K Mathur as its first Lieutenant Governor and SS Khandare as its first Inspector General of Police (IGP). Ladakh was given a separate divisional status in February 2019.
The official said that there is a likelihood that IGP will be given all the powers to run police affairs in Leh while as there will be no DGP for Leh like the J&K UT. “The IGP Leh may be known as Police Commissioner Leh or otherwise enjoy the same rank,” the officer said. (KNO)