Himachal: The border dispute between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh will now be decided in Delhi. Following a survey by a team from the Survey of India, a meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah will take place in Delhi. This meeting was originally scheduled for December 4 but was postponed due to the central minister’s busy schedule. It is now proposed to occur in the first week of January.
Himachal Pradesh asserts its claim up to the Shinkula Pass, while Ladakh claims its territory extends down approximately 15 kilometers from Shinkula Top to the Jamak Sumo area within Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal alleges that the Ladakh administration has encroached significantly inside the state’s boundaries at locations like Sarchu and Shinkula Pass, with pillars erected by the Leh-Ladakh administration placed well inland. Local residents have raised this issue with the administration, but a resolution has yet to be reached.
This area along the Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh border has minimal population and serves as a route for tourists traveling from Manali to Leh. After snowfall in October-November, this route gets closed, reopening around April-May when tourism activities resume. Officials from both states are expected to attend the meeting, and revenue records have also been requested.
Additionally, it has been decided to open a permanent police post in Sarchu under the Keylong Police Station. This decision will significantly benefit businesses in Himachal Pradesh affected by the border dispute, especially local tourism operators in Lahaul. The establishment of a permanent police post will prevent traders from Ladakh from illegally conducting business within Himachal’s borders.
Thus, as the border area continues to face disputes, a critical meeting chaired by the central home minister is planned in Delhi, having been postponed from its initial date in December to January.