The Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly on Friday witnessed a heated debated on the Union territory status for Ladakh.

Opposition National Conference legislator Ali Mohammad Sagar sought the government's stand on the demand of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council even after the coalition government in Srinagar had delegated more powers to it.

Intervening during the question hour, Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma said the charge did not stand as members from the Ladakh region were part of the coalition government and had signed its common minimum programme, which was committed to maintaining the unity and integrity of J&K.

"I would rather say that the National Conference government had delayed delegating powers to the council as enshrined in the Hill Development Council act. We have only given them the powers that were due to them under the Act," he said.

Sagar alleged that the councillors of the LAHDC did not use state flags on their cars despite being conferred the status of minister of states and given powers to execute works upto Rs 5 crore without any administrative sanction. He claimed that the people of Ladakh had not given up on the demand for Union territory status.

CPI (M) legislator M Y Tarigami said some people might have raised the issue, but the majority of them wanted to be part of the state.