New deputation policy provides a new thread of relation between separated J&K, Ladakh

The employees shall be deputed for a period of two years to Ladakh but physically-disabled persons will not be eligible

Carved out into two separate Union Territories (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh on August 5, 2019, the decision of the J&K administrative council, headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to allow its employees to opt for deputation posting in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, has provided a fresh link between the two separated regions.

In its latest order issued on Thursday by Piyush Singla, secretary to the J&K government, J&K has formulated guidelines and incentivised deputation posting of the employees from the UT of J&K to Ladakh.

“All proposals relating to deputation of employees to UT of Ladakh and any repatriation from said UT, shall be submitted to General Administration Department, J&K, for seeking approval of the Competent Authority in terms of the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019,” the order reads.

According to the guidelines, the employees shall be deputed for a period of two years to Ladakh. “No physically challenged employee shall be deputed to UT of Ladakh,” it adds.

The employees of J&K deputed to Ladakh “shall be eligible for incentives”. To make the offer lucrative, employees, on completion of their prescribed term in Ladakh, “will be posted to their home districts or as per their convenience”, the order said.

All the administrative departments have been directed “to maintain a complete database of employees relating to their period of deputation and service in the Ladakh region”.

For centuries, J&K and Ladakh have maintained strong ties through trade and deputation of manpower. Most schools in Kargil, in the past, would have teaching staff from the Kashmir valley. Trade related to poultry and meat continue to remain in the hands of Kashmiri traders in Leh district, even at present.