Administration approves ₹1.52 crore package for families and injured
The Ladakh Union Territory administration on Sunday approved a compensation package totalling ₹1.52 crore for those killed or injured during the violent protests in Leh on 24 September last year, officials said.
Under the measures, the next of kin of each of the four people who died in the unrest will receive ₹15 lakh. Ex gratia payments of ₹3 lakh were approved for people who sustained major injuries and ₹1 lakh for those who suffered minor injuries, the administration said.
Breakdown of approved payments
| Category | Number reported by administration | Amount per person | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deceased (next of kin) | 4 | ₹15 lakh | ₹60 lakh |
| Major injuries | 24 | ₹3 lakh | ₹72 lakh |
| Minor injuries | 20 | ₹1 lakh | ₹20 lakh |
| Total | ₹1.52 crore | ||
The administration said the package follows an examination of the matter in view of the fact that the UT of Ladakh did not have a general policy prescribing compensation for death or injury arising from public unrest or rioting. Officials characterised the payments as "appropriate humanitarian assistance" to affected families and individuals.
"In our continued commitment to support the families affected by the tragic violence in Ladakh on 24 September last year, today sanctioned a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the next of kin of each of the four deceased. An ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh for those with major injuries and Rs 1 lakh for minor injuries has also been approved," the Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said on X.
In the same post, Mr Saxena expressed gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what he described as a "sensitive, humanitarian and guiding approach" and said the Ladakh administration stood by the victims' families as they sought to recover from their loss.
Numbers reported and a minor discrepancy
Officials cited the figures that underpin the financial commitment: ₹60 lakh for claims related to four deaths, ₹72 lakh for 24 people with major injuries and ₹20 lakh for 20 people with minor injuries. Separately, statements noted that the incident resulted in the loss of four lives while "43 civilians" sustained major or minor injuries. The administration's numerical breakdown (24 major + 20 minor = 44) differs by one from the 43-injury figure mentioned elsewhere; officials have not publicly reconciled the difference.
Context and local response
The unrest in Leh last September centred on demands related to the Sixth Schedule and calls for statehood for Ladakh. Groups such as the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which are engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs over constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory, had pressed for adequate compensation for those affected by the violence.
The sanctioned payments are likely to be viewed as a humanitarian response by the administration pending any broader policy on compensation for injuries and deaths during civil disturbances. The move also arrives amid ongoing talks between local representative bodies and the central government on constitutional and administrative arrangements for Ladakh.
What happens next
- Families of the deceased and the injured will be identified and verified by the administration before payments are disbursed, officials said (process details to be notified by the UT administration).
- The decision may form the basis for a formal policy on compensation in the event of public unrest, given the administration's acknowledgement that no general policy currently exists for such incidents in Ladakh.
- Representatives of local groups engaged with the Ministry of Home Affairs may comment further on whether the compensation meets demands; no response from those groups was included in the administration's announcement.
The administration did not provide a timeline for disbursal in its statement. Residents and local organisations in Leh may await detailed orders from the Deputy Commissioner or the concerned department on verification and payment procedures.
— Reporting from Leh
