Ladakh's Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra announces autonomous hill development councils for all seven districts
Leh, July 13
Ladakh's Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra has announced that the Union Territory Administration will constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts on Monday.
Adressing a press conference in Leh, he described it as a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance.
Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already provides for a Council for every district, to be constituted from a date the government notifies in the gazette. Only amendments to the Act were required, and a delimitation of constituencies remains, according to a release.
Ladakh moved from two districts to seven in April, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass were notified. Elected representation until now has stayed with the two existing Councils in Leh and Kargil.
With this announcement, each of the seven Councils will carry the full powers set out in the LAHDC Act. The new districts get the same authority that Leh has held since 1995 and Kargil since 2003, not a reduced version of it, the release noted.
Hill Councils have authority over land ownership and land allotment within the district. Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass will exercise that authority within their own boundaries.
Councils regulate recruitment and promotion for district cadre posts. Employment decisions in the new districts will rest with an elected body inside the district.
Councils hold a dedicated Council Fund and can levy taxes and fees. Each new district will have a revenue base of its own.
Councils formulate their own development plans. Each district will set its own priorities rather than receive them from Leh or Kargil.
Councils are responsible for health, education and tourism at the district level, along with local infrastructure and social welfare schemes.
A Union Territory-level body is proposed above the seven Councils under a customised Article 371 framework, with legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers. The Chief Secretary said the model has no parallel elsewhere in the country and will draw on the best features of other arrangements, the release said.
The structure and powers of the Union Territory-level body will be settled through consultation between Ladakh's representatives and the Government of India. Some rebalancing of powers between the Councils and the UT body may follow. The Councils are the first firm element of the new structure to be confirmed.
As per the release, Panchayati Raj institutions will continue alongside the Hill Councils. Ladakh will have elected representation at the village, district and Union Territory levels.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good move for decentralisation, but I wonder about the actual implementation. Ladakh has unique geographical challenges - will these councils have the resources to function effectively? Also, the land ownership powers need careful handling to protect local rights. Let's see how the delimitation exercise goes.
Interesting approach - seven councils with full powers seems ambitious. But will this really bring democracy closer to people in remote areas like Zanskar and Changthang? The current infrastructure in those regions is minimal. They need roads and connectivity before councils can function properly. 🤔
Excited about this! Finally some real decentralisation happening. The fact that each council can levy its own taxes and set development priorities is huge autonomy. But I'm cautiously optimistic - will the UT-level body end up diluting these powers? The Article 371 framework needs to be watertight. 🙏
This is exactly what Ladakh needs - local control over local matters. The Panchayati Raj institutions continuing alongside is smart too. My only concern is the cost - seven councils plus a UT body means a lot of administrative expense. Hope they don't end up wasting money on bureaucracy instead of development. 💸
Great to see India taking regional governance seriously. The fact that each district gets the same powers as Leh and Kargil is crucial for equality. But I worry about capacity building - small districts like Drass and Sham may struggle to recruit qualified staff quickly. Patience will be needed. 🌄
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