Leh, 19 September (H.S.): In a step towards making essential government services more accessible to people in remote areas of Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday empowered Naib-Tehsildars, holding independent charge of a Tehsil, to issue reserved category and income certificates within their respective local jurisdiction.

The Revenue Department, UT Ladakh, has issued the notification under the proviso to Section 13 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, investing the designated Naib-Tehsildars with powers to issue Reserved Category Certificates and Income Certificates within the local limits of their respective jurisdiction, a Lok Bhavan spokesperson said.

The notification specifically empowers Naib-Tehsildars who are holding independent charge of a Tehsil and exercising the powers of Assistant Collector of the First Class, for issuing such certificates. The powers will be exercised within their respective local limits and jurisdiction, he said.

In a Union Territory like Ladakh, where difficult terrain and long distances can make access to government offices challenging, it is our responsibility to take governance closer to the people. By empowering revenue officers at the local level to issue these certificates, we are making an important citizen service more accessible and reducing the need for people to undertake long journeys for routine administrative requirements, the lieutenant governor said.

The decision aims to reduce the difficulties faced by residents, particularly those living in remote and far-flung areas, who otherwise have to travel long distances to obtain certificates required to access various government schemes, benefits, reservations, and other services, the spokesperson said.

By decentralising the certification process, the administration seeks to make these services more accessible, convenient, and responsive to citizens' needs, he said.

The initiative forms part of the administration's broader effort to take governance and public services closer to the people, particularly those residing in geographically remote and difficult-to-access areas of the Union Territory, he added.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar