Ladakh/Alive News: The Ladakh administration has issued a notice to Desert Flower School in Leh, asking it to stop classes and other activities until a pending court case over land allotted to the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), is decided.
The notice, issued by the Leh Tehsildar, is addressed to Dr Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and founder and CEO of HIAL. It directs her to maintain the status quo and refrain from taking any steps towards the school’s functioning until the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh issues further directions.
According to the notice, Angmo had approached the Leh Deputy Commissioner on September 22 seeking an NOC for the proposed managing committee of the school at Phyang. However, the administration alleged that classes and other activities had already begun without the required approvals.
The notice comes amid a legal dispute over 1,076 kanals and one marla of land allotted to HIAL in May 2018 for setting up an alternative university. The administration cancelled the allotment on August 21, 2025, alleging that lease formalities were not completed and the proposed university was not established.
HIAL challenged the cancellation in the High Court. In September 2026, the court restrained the administration from creating third-party rights over the disputed land.
The administration has maintained that the allotment conditions were not fulfilled. Angmo, however, claims HIAL applied for the lease deed shortly after the allotment and repeatedly followed up with officials. Wangchuk has also accused the administration of delaying the process and targeting him over his activism.
