TSEWANG RIGZIN
LEH: A few days after STATETIMES highlighted acute shortage of SDMs and Tehsildars, especially on the border subdivisions of Leh District, government seems to have acted to ease the problems of the residents of Nubra and Durbuk Sub Divisions to some extent.
Earlier people were suffering with no Permanent Residence Certificates (PRC) cases being processed because of not having SDMs and in case of Nubra no official had been delegated powers to issue PRC cases.
“Government has recently delegated the power to issue PRCs for the people of Nubra to SDM Khaltsi Tadbar Joldan which is expected to ease the problems of the people to a great extent till the region has a full-fledged SDM of its own,” Executive Councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, Tsering Sangdup told STATETIMES on Thursday adding that J and K Minister of Ladakh Affairs has assured to post an SDM for Nubra at least within one month.
“In the exercise of the power conferred by clause (b) of Section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Permanent Residence Certificate (procedure) Act, 1963 (Act No. XIII of 1963) and in supersession of all previous notifications issued in this behalf, the government hereby appoint Takbar Joldan, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Khaltsi to be the competent authority for the purposes of the said Act within the territorial jurisdiction of Sub-Division Nubra of District Leh,” ordered Commissioner / Secretary to Government, Revenue Department last week authorising him to issue PRCs.
Regarding shortage of Patwaris in Nubra Sangdup said Chairman LAHDC has assured to adjust two more Patwaris to Nubra from Leh. He added that out of 13 sanctioned strength of Patwaris, only two are posted in the whole of Nubra besides vacant posts of one Tehsildar and three Naib Tehsildars.
While in the case of Durbuk Sub-Division, Councillor Tangtse Tashi Namgyal Yakzee said the SDM who had been out of station for a long period has assumed duty recently and lots of PRC cases have been cleared in the last one week. Earlier Tashi had complained of inconvenience being faced by the people Lalok region in getting PRCs, Schedule Tribe (ST) certificates and income certificates due to of non-availability of SDM Durbuk.
Public representatives of both border regions still decry shortage of Tehsildars as there are many sanctioned posts lying vacant in these remote yet strategically crucial regions. It is pertinent to mention here that Durbuk Sub-Division borders with China in the east while Nubra shares borders with Pakistan in the west. The Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes right behind mighty Karakuram Mountains located in Durbuk and Nubra.
