Tensions between the local union territory authorities and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk have flared up again following a formal legal notice served to his organisation, the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL). In the notice, the regional administration warned the management against carrying out actions that could disrupt or prejudice legal proceedings currently pending before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Dispute Surrounding Desert Flower School
At the center of this administrative confrontation lies the Desert Flower School, which functions under the aegis of HIAL. Authorities point out that the legal validity of cancelling the institute's original land allotment remains an active matter before the High Court. Despite this ongoing litigation, the school continued its day-to-day educational operations without procuring the obligatory formal clearances and statutory approvals from the concerned regulatory departments.
Direct Notice to CEO Gitanjali J. Angmo
The formal warning was addressed specifically to Gitanjali J. Angmo, who serves as the chief executive officer of HIAL and is also Wangchuk's spouse. The directive firmly stipulates that the organisation must rigorously abide by the judicial mandate of maintaining a strict status quo on the designated site. Management has been cautioned against conducting any activities that could exert undue influence or compromise the fair adjudication of the court dispute.
