LG approves notification constituting LAHDCs in Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass; elections to follow
KD NEWS SERVICE
LEH-LADAKH, Sept 3: In a major step towards strengthening decentralised governance and extending elected local institutions across the Union Territory, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the notification constituting Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in all seven districts of the UT. The Revenue Department of the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh issued the notification on September 3 under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, superseding previous notifications issued in this regard. With the latest order, the autonomous hill council framework, which until now existed only in Leh and Kargil, will be extended to the five other districts of Ladakh.
The notification formally constitutes the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, for Leh district; Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, for Kargil district; Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Sham, for Sham district; Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Nubra, for Nubra district; Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Changthang, for Changthang district; Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Zanskar, for Zanskar district; and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Drass, for Drass district.
The decision effectively expands the LAHDC system from two councils to seven, bringing the entire territorial jurisdiction of the Union Territory within the statutory framework of autonomous hill development councils. According to the notification, each of the seven councils will exercise such powers and perform such functions as are conferred or assigned to it under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, as amended from time to time. The move assumes particular significance for Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass, which will now have their own autonomous hill development councils within the statutory framework of the 1997 Act. The extension of the council system is expected to provide these regions with an institutional mechanism for local representation and participation in development-related decision-making, while enabling local priorities to be addressed through elected bodies.
The notification, however, does not itself announce the elections to the newly constituted councils. It makes clear that elections to these councils will be held in due course, after a separate notification is issued under Section 8 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997. The issuance of the subsequent election notification will therefore be the next key step towards making the new councils operational through elected representatives. The expansion of the LAHDC structure comes against the backdrop of Ladakh’s recent administrative reorganisation, under which the number of districts in the Union Territory was increased from two to seven.
The latest notification now seeks to align the system of elected autonomous hill governance with the seven-district administrative structure. The development is particularly important for Ladakh, given its vast geographical expanse, difficult terrain, scattered settlements and challenging climatic conditions, all of which make decentralised administration and effective local participation important components of governance. By extending the LAHDC framework to every district, the administration has created a uniform statutory structure for autonomous hill development councils across the Union Territory. The councils in Leh and Kargil have historically provided the institutional framework for elected local participation in development and governance, and the latest notification extends that model to the newly constituted districts. Once elections are conducted, representatives elected from these districts will function within the powers and responsibilities provided under the 1997 Act and subsequent amendments. The notification states that it will come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
It has been issued by the Revenue Department of the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh and signed by Shurbir Singh, IAS, Commissioner/Secretary, Revenue, UT of Ladakh, by order and in the name of the Lieutenant Governor. Copies of the notification have been forwarded to the Chief Secretary, Additional Secretary of the J&K Affairs Division in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Director General of Police, administrative secretaries, Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Deputy Commissioners of all districts, the Technical Director of NIC and other concerned authorities.
The expansion of the LAHDC system to all seven districts marks an important institutional development in Ladakh’s governance architecture, creating the statutory foundation for elected autonomous hill councils across the entire Union Territory. The next major milestone will be the notification of elections under Section 8 of the 1997 Act, following which the five new councils can acquire elected representation and begin functioning within their respective districts.
