Ladakh Extends Autonomous Hill Development Councils To All Seven Districts
· India · Indian Express, Times of India
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved a notification to establish Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) across all seven districts of the Union Territory. The move extends elected local self-governance frameworks beyond the previously established Leh and Kargil councils to five newly created districts, including Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass. Lieutenant Governor Saxena stated that the expansion will decentralise governance and strengthen grassroots planning. The hill councils, originally created in 1995 under the LAHDC Act, possess administrative powers over land use, local development programmes, public health, and employment generation. The decision coincides with ongoing talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs and regional groups such as the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance regarding constitutional protections.
Why it matters
Extending autonomous councils across all districts decentralises administrative control and addresses local demands for grassroots self-governance in Ladakh.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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