SRINAGAR: With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh leaders agreeing in principle to extend constitutional safeguards under Article 371 to the Union Territory, the Ladakh administration has decided to constitute Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs) in all seven districts.
The decision follows the creation of five new districts — Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass and Changthang — taking the total number of districts in Ladakh to seven. Until now, elected representation had been limited to the existing Hill Councils in Leh and Kargil.
Announcing the decision, Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said the move marked a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance. "The Ladakh Administration has decided to constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. It is a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance," he told reporters.
Kundra said residents of the newly created districts had sought autonomous district councils following the administrative reorganisation.
He added that the new councils would enjoy the same powers as those in Leh and Kargil, including authority over land ownership and allotment, recruitment and promotion of district cadre employees, preparation of district development plans, and the administration of sectors such as health, education, tourism, local infrastructure and social welfare.
Each council would also have a dedicated Council Fund and the authority to levy taxes, fees and other charges in accordance with the law.
Explaining the legal basis, he said Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act provides for the constitution of a council in every district through a government notification published in the Official Gazette.
"The LHDC Act, Section 3, Subsection A states that there shall be an autonomous Hill Development Council for each district, from such date as the Government may by notification in the Government Gazette appoint on this behalf," he said.
Kundra said only the necessary amendments to the Act, wherever required, and the delimitation of constituencies remain before the new councils can be constituted.
"In the LHDC Act, the minor amendments that are required, and to complete this process many steps will have to be taken including delimitation of constituencies," he said.
Kundra, however, asserted that the administration was committed to constituting Hill Development Councils in all seven districts. "These LHDCs shall have the same power, which is written in the LHDC Act," he said.
Referring to the ongoing talks between the MHA and Ladakh leaders on the proposed Union Territory-level elected body, Kundra said its structure and powers would require a constitutional amendment under the proposed Article 371 safeguards.
"To define the powers and rights of the UT level body, which is being discussed, it needs a constitutional amendment. The process of negotiation is going on and only after that its form will be known. Afterwards some powers may be rebalanced… what will be the power of LHDC and what will be the power of the UT level body," he said.
He said the proposed Union Territory-level institution would exercise legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers, with its final structure to be worked out through consultations between Ladakh's representatives and the Centre. As part of the process, certain powers may be redistributed between the Hill Councils and the proposed institution.
Kundra said the decision to establish AHDCs in all seven districts was the first concrete step towards the proposed governance structure. He added that Panchayati Raj institutions would continue to function alongside the Hill Councils, ensuring elected representation at the village, district and Union Territory levels.
The Ladakh Lieutenant Governor had earlier increased the number of districts from two to seven and created 17 additional tehsils, taking the total number of tehsils in the Union Territory to 32.