New Reforms

A must know for visitors

Subject : Protection of Employment and Business Opportunities of the local Tribal population of Ladakh.

1. Ladakh is a remote, mountain –locked region of J&K State and remains cut-off from the rest of the country for over seven months. Due to its geographical lilmitations and severe climatic conditions the local economy remains at subsistence level with very limited scope for employment generation for the growing number of educated youth.
2. However, with the opening of the region for tourism, a window of opportunities was provided for generation of employment and avenues of entrepreneurship and the local people have invested their hard earned saving and resources for putting up accommodation facilities and tourist transport services. A large number of educated un-employed are now engaged in providing various tourist facilities including tourist transport service.
3. But in recent years there has been relentless pressure by big business and vested interests from outside Ladakh to usurp even this vital resource- base from the local people and they are getting involved in aggressive exploitation with all kinds of means, fair or unfair. This development is strongly impacting the investment opportunities and employment resources of the region thus putting the interests of the local scheduled tribe population at risk.
4. In particular there has been greater inroads in the tourist transport sector by several private operators from outside Ladakh by providing self-driven vehicles to tourist right from home cities, commercial taxis in the garb of privately owned vehicles and other similarly un–authorized transport services which operate all over the region without any benefit to the local people in any way, thus robbing away the business and employment opportunities which rightfully belongs to the Tribal population of Ladakh.
5.Preservation of the cultural heritage and environment of Ladakh is another concern which is adversely affected by the influx of large number of vehicles from outside the region and conducting tours without any regard for the fragile environment. Driving of these vehicle in the wild life havitats of Tsomoriri Lake/Pangong Lake or in the Nubra valley, in the vicinity of the monasteries etc. showing rowdy behavior, disturbing the tranquil atmosphere of the destination, driving the vehicles into the lakes and disturbing the bird habitats, leaving piles of garbage and broken beer bottles along the routes etc, is causing great anxiety among the local tribal people for whom these natural resources are basic for their economic survival.

• That employment and investment opportunities provide the tourism industry to the local people of Ladakh shall be protected from exploitation by outsiders in any form.
• That the efforts made by the local tourist traders and service providers in preservation of cultural heritage and environment of the tourist destination will be improved and re-doubled.
• That any influx of tourist service providers, especially tourist transport services form outside Ladakh ( Self –Drive vehicles, Commercial passenger vehicles such as taxis/mini buses, motorbikes hired from outside outlets) for exploitation of the tourist business by depriving the locals from this resource base shall be discouraged and stopped.
• That vehicles hired form outside Ladakh region shall be free to operate on the two highways viz Manali –Leh and Srinagar –Leh for bringing in or taking out the passengers, However, these vehicles will not be free to operate within Ladakh (including Leh Municipality area) for sightseeing or Journeys within the region for the protection of the employment opportunities and livelihood resources of the local operators. The same restriction is being faced and honoured by the taxi operators of Ladakh when they take passengers from leh to Manali or Srinagar.