Ladakh administration serves notice to Sonam Wangchuk's Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh over continuing classes at Desert Flower School in Phyang (File Photo)The Ladakh administration on Tuesday issued a notice to Sonam Wangchuk’s Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) over its continuation of classes at the Desert Flower School, Phyang, under the HIAL Ecosystem.Highlighting that the matter regarding HIAL is currently sub judice before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the notice, sent through the Tehsildar Leh, directs the school authorities to “maintain status quo” and ensure that no action is taken which may prejudice the matter.The issue pertains to the cancellation of the allotment of 1,076 kanals of land at Phyang Thang for a 40-year lease to HIAL, headed by Gitanjali Angmo as CEO. Wangchuk had approached the court through a writ petition challenging the August 2025 order cancelling the land allotment.The notice states: “It has been brought to the notice that you are commencing classes and other activities at Desert Flower School, HIAL without taking proper consent/clearances or necessary approval from the concerned authorities”.While the court considers their petition, the administration “advises” HIAL “not to undertake any action whatsoever in furtherance of the functioning, commencement of activities, until the matter is finally decided by the Hon’ble Court or until further directions are issued, as the case may be”, the notice said.In October, the Leh Deputy Commissioner had told the court that the sanction to grant a lease of land to Wangchuk was conditional and that he had failed to comply with the lease conditions, including “payment of premium ground rent.”The administration stated in court that the lease lapsed in May this year as these conditions were not fulfilled within the first year of allotment. It also argued that the land “has not been used for the purpose” for which it was allotted and that there was “no proof” that any university had been started, another condition for the lease to be executed.Story continues below this adThe response filed by the Ladakh administration had also accused Wangchuk of occupying public land without paying for it; “false and provocative propaganda against the administration whenever called to account; threats to the elected Council and to officers; and the mobilisation of staff and students in agitation, including violent agitation.”Responding to this, Angmo had said they applied for the lease on May 20, 2018, barely 15 days after the land was allotted. “We wrote again in March 2020. They themselves replied that the lease could not be executed because the administration had not finalised its lease policy.”She had also stated that in February 2021, they repeated the same explanation, admitted that the delay affected other institutions too, “and explicitly permitted us to continue construction.”Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir.... Read More Tags:pune