Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the 6th LAHDC Leh elections, the advertisement by the J&K Small Scale Industry Development Corporation Ltd (SICOP) on the allotment of land at the Industrial Estate in Phyang has created chaos and confusions among the people. 

SICOP issued an advertisement on October 6, 2020, asking interested entrepreneurs to apply online for the allotment of 112 Kanal of land at Industrial Estates in Phyang, Leh, and 100 Kanal at Changrathang in Kargil.

Online applications were invited from prospective entrepreneurs through the web portal www.udyogjk.com  from October 9 to 16. 

However, J&K SICOP issued the advertisement letter without any date and official number, thereby raising doubts among the people. Also, a few local who had applied for allocation of land were informed about the quota being filled even before the due date.  

Tsering Angchuk and Konchok Tashi, who applied for land, shared: “We filled the online application for the allotment of land much before the last date, but we were unable to submit the form because the quota was already full. Strangely, our application was not accepted as we had submitted the form two days before the last date.”

It has been learned that SICOP issued the advertisement without taking the district and UT Administration into confidence. Therefore, the entire process of advertisement for the allotment of land seems manipulative and reflects the ulterior motives of people involved in the process. The involvement of locals with the officials of SICOP in this matter cannot be denied and overlooked. 

When asked, the general manager of SICOP informed that the advertisement was declared null and void by the District Magistrate, Leh. The website, which is operated from Jammu, has been shut down. The application process would be resumed once the committee constituted to look into the matter gives the green signal. 

He refused to share the numbers and details of the applications received by SICOP. 

However, there are also rumours of land being allotted to non-locals. Incidentally, the advertisement was issued by the General Manager of SICOP Leh when the Model Code of Conduct was in force in Leh district. There is still no clarity whether the J&K SICOP which was functional in Ladakh during the erstwhile state of J&K will continue to function after Ladakh was declared a separate Union Territory. 

Secretary Industries & Commerce, Ladakh Saugat Biswas tweeted that ‘no land has been allotted to any applicant in Phyang, Leh’. He further added that ‘there is no such offer in place’. 

Sachin Kumar Vaishya, District Magistrate/ Election Authority, Leh issued an order no. Elec-VI (C) LAHDC, Leh,2020 (703) II on October 14 declaring the advertisement null and void. 

Also, a committee of officers, including Assistant Commissioner (Dev), Leh, Chief Planning Officer, DC Office, Leh and Chief Controller of Finance, Leh, was formed under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner (District Vigilance Officer), Leh to conduct an enquiry into the matter. The enquiry report would be submitted to the District Magistrate, Leh within a week.