LEH: Major row has erupted in the Union Territory of Ladakh with lone local IAS officer Rigzian Sampheal, who was shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Ladakh ahead of smooth transition of the region from Jammu and Kashmir to independent UT, withdrawing his consent for extension in deputation and opting to return to his parent State prompting number of prominent individuals and Associations including Thupstan Chhewang, two-time Lok Sabha member, to shoot off letter to Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur urging him to take necessary action to retain Sampheal in Ladakh for another term.
There are only few IAS officers from Ladakh, which was third region of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State before being made a Union Territory on August 5, 2019 and presently Sampheal was lone local IAS officer in the UT while rest belonged to different States and were on deputation to Ladakh, mainly from erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre which has since been merged into AGMUT. However, there are some JKAS and JKPS officers, who are locals of Ladakh and posted in the Union Territory. Sampheal, who hailed from village Stok in Leh district, is 2003 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and was posted as Commissioner/Secretary Finance, Tourism, Health and Higher Education in Ladakh since August 5, 2019. He was instrumental in handling critical situations including overcoming Leh and Kargil wedge and striking balance between the two districts, which comprised the Union Territory.
The Ladakh administration today finally relieved Sampheal from deputation. An order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) Ladakh said consequent upon completion of three years of inter-cadre deputation of Rigzian Sampheal, IAS (UP: 2003) in terms of notification No. 13017/2018/AIS-I dated 26th March 2018 issued by the Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (DoPT), Government of India, the officer stands relieved with effect from the afternoon of 2nd April 2021. “The officer is further directed to report to the Chief Secretary, State Government of Uttar Pradesh,” the GAD order said. Earlier, according to sources, Sampheal had agreed to extension of his deputation in Ladakh, his home UT.
But suddenly, for unknown reasons, he refused to get his stay extended and opted for return to Uttar Pradesh. Sampheal wasn’t available for comments. However, following resentment brewing among the people of Leh district over return of local IAS officer from the Union Territory to Uttar Pradesh and letter shot off by prominent individuals and organizations to the Lieutenant Governor seeking retention of the officer, the UT administration this evening issued a statement saying the officer has been relieved in compliance with the orders of the Appointment Committee of Cabinet, Government of India as he had withdrawn his consent for an extension of deputation to Ladakh citing personal reasons. “The officer had earlier applied for extension of his deputation in Ladakh. The UT Administration had also recommended the extension of Sampheal’s tenure in Ladakh. His application for extension of the deputation period was forwarded to the Competent Authority and was under process.
However, he withdrew his consent for an extension,” the UT administration said. It acknowledged the services of Sampheal during his tenure in Ladakh and wished him for his future endeavours. Meanwhile, prominent individuals and organizations have written to the Lieutenant Governor Ladakh seeking extension of Sampheal’s tenure in the Union Territory. “Ladakh as a Union Territory is still at a very nascent stage and we have been very fortunate to have you lead a team of very dynamic and dedicated officers in strengthening the foundation of the newly established UT. We consider ourselves blessed in that regard. However, there is still a lot of flux and we need all our dedicated officers, of which Rigzian Sampheal is one, to steer the formation of new system and processes,” the letter said.
Calling upon the Lieutenant Governor to note their distress, the latter urged him to take necessary action to retain Sampheal in Ladakh for another term. They said they are writing to him (the Lieutenant Governor) on behalf of socio-religious organizations of Leh.
