All Ladakh districts to get autonomous hill councils, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Ladakh administration announced the creation of 17 new tehsils, increasing the total to 32 across the Union Territory.
• The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act will be extended to all seven districts of the region.
• Five new districts—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass—were notified in April, joining Leh and Kargil.
• The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) raised concerns about an imbalance in the distribution of new tehsils, alleging a discriminatory approach towards Kargil and Drass.

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Detailed Insights:

• The creation of new tehsils aims to strengthen grassroots governance, bring government services closer to people, and enhance infrastructure in remote areas.
• New divisions have also been established under the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Flood Control Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to improve service delivery.
• Discussions are ongoing regarding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, with a focus on protecting its land, culture, and identity.
• The Union Home Ministry is considering a customized sui generis model for Ladakh under Article 371 of the Constitution.
• The KDA highlighted that the erstwhile Leh district received 12 new tehsils, while Kargil received only five, despite having a larger population and more villages.
• Concerns were also raised that Drass, a significant area, did not receive any additional tehsils.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act: Legislation providing for local self-governance and development in the Ladakh region.
• Tehsil: An administrative division within a district, also known as a sub-district, responsible for local administration and revenue collection.
• Union Territory (UT): An administrative division in India directly governed by the central government.
• Article 371: A provision in the Indian Constitution that grants special provisions to certain states, allowing for unique administrative arrangements.
• Sui generis model: A unique or special model, often used to describe a legal or administrative framework tailored to specific circumstances.