All Ladakh Districts To Have Autonomous Hill Development Councils, Pg2

Key Highlights:

• Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the notification for the creation of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in all seven districts of the Union Territory.
• This decision extends the framework of elected local self-governance, previously limited to Leh and Kargil, to five newly created districts: Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.
• The five new districts were formally notified in April 2026, increasing Ladakh's total districts from two to seven.
• The move aims to decentralize governance, strengthen local participation, and make development more responsive to local needs.
• This development occurs amidst ongoing talks between the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking greater democratic representation and Sixth Schedule protection for Ladakh.

Detailed Insights:

• The LAHDCs were originally established in 1995 under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, for Leh and Kargil districts.
• These councils are empowered with functions related to local development planning, land management, public health, and local transport.
• Each council will consist of 26 directly elected councillors who will then elect a chief executive councillor.
• Elections for the newly constituted councils will be held after a formal notification under Section 8 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997.
• Ladakh became a Union Territory on October 31, 2019, following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
• The LAB and KDA have submitted "non-negotiable" demands, including constitutional safeguards and a legislative assembly for Ladakh.
• A meeting between the Ministry of Home Affairs and a sub-committee on Ladakh is scheduled for September 9 in Delhi to discuss these demands.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs): Statutory bodies established to promote decentralized governance and local development in Ladakh.
• Union Territory (UT): An administrative division in India directly governed by the Central Government, headed by a Lieutenant Governor.
• Sixth Schedule: A provision in the Indian Constitution for the administration of tribal areas in specific northeastern states, granting autonomy to Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).