Leh, July 13 (IANS) Each of the seven districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh will have an Autonomous Hill Development Council to decentralise governance and strengthen grassroots administration.

Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra told a press conference on Monday that the Union Territory Administration will constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts.

He described the move as a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance.

He said Section 3(1) of the LAHDC Act already provides for a council for every district, to be constituted from a date notified by the government in the Gazette.

Only amendments to the Act, wherever required, and the delimitation of constituencies remain to be completed.

Ladakh expanded from two districts to seven in April 2026, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass were notified as new districts.

Elected representation has, until now, remained with the two existing councils in Leh and Kargil.

The Chief Secretary reiterated that each of the seven councils will exercise the full powers provided under the LAHDC Act.

The new districts will enjoy the same authority that Leh has exercised since 1995 and Kargil since 2003, rather than a diluted version of those powers.

The Hill Councils will have authority over land ownership and land allotment within their respective districts. Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass will exercise those powers within their respective jurisdictions.

The councils will regulate recruitment and promotion for district cadre posts. Employment decisions in the new districts will rest with elected bodies within the respective districts. The District Councils will maintain dedicated Council Funds and will have the power to levy taxes and fees.

Each new district will have its own revenue base. The councils will formulate their own development plans, enabling each district to determine its own priorities rather than receiving them from Leh or Kargil.

The councils will also be responsible for health, education and tourism at the district level, along with local infrastructure and social welfare schemes.

The Chief Secretary said a Union Territory-level body has been proposed above the seven councils under a customised Article 371 framework, with legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers.

He said the proposed model has no parallel elsewhere in the country and will draw on the best features of other governance arrangements.

The structure and powers of the Union Territory-level body will be finalised through consultations between Ladakh’s representatives and the Government of India.

Some rebalancing of powers between the councils and the Union Territory-level body may follow. The councils are the first firm element of the proposed governance structure to be confirmed.

Panchayati Raj institutions will continue to function alongside the Hill Councils. Ladakh will have elected representation at the village, district and Union Territory levels, the Chief Secretary added.

–IANS

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