The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday announced that the newly created administrative division of Ladakh would have its headquarters jointly in Leh and Kargil district.
Last week, the administration had created a separate division for Ladakh, which was part of the Kashmir division till then. Hundreds of Kargil residents had taken out rallies, demanding an equal share in the division and rotational divisional headquarters.
An official spokesperson said Governor Satyapal Malik made several decisions to meet the aspirations of the people in Kargil.
"The newly created administrative and revenue division of Ladakh will have its headquarters jointly at Leh and Kargil," Malik said.
The offices will be set up in Leh and Kargil and two additional divisional commissioners will be posted at both the places, the spokesperson said.
He said the divisional commissioners and the IG will spend half their time in Kargil and half in Leh.
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As per the decision, a committee constituted under the Principal Secretary (Planning) will periodically examine and report on the duration of sitting of the divisional commissioners and IGP at Leh and Kargil.
The panel will also identify the posts of divisional-level heads of various departments that might be required for the new division, their locations at Kargil and Leh and their staffing pattern. The spokesman said the committee will submit its report by February 24.
The state government will immediately provide Rs 200 crore to a separate account to convert the Kargil airport to a full-fledged civilian airport which can handle medium body jets like Boeing and Airbus, he said.
Secretary (Ladakh Affairs) will constantly engage with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil (LAHDC-K) and other peoples' representatives to improve the region's development prospects, the spokesman said.
The governor earlier Friday met All Party Co-ordination Committee members from Kargil district to understand and resolve the concerns of the people regarding the division.
After the announcement, the committee welcomed the governor's decision and agreed to call off all demonstrations in Kargil, a move that was welcomed by Malik.