Ladakh's governance map got bigger: Five new districts to get elected councils, election process likely to begin

To expand grassroots governance beyond Leh and Kargil, the five new district of Ladakh are set to get elected local councils. In response, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday (September 4) approved the notification to create Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in all seven districts of the Union Territory.

The five new districts of Ladakh include, Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass and Changthang, is set to include under the LAHDC framework. The move follows the the decision of Centre on July 13 to extend the autonomous hill council system to all seven districts of the UT.

Ladakh's district to get elected councils

The latest elected LAHDCs which were limited to Leh and Kargil will now be extended to all seven districts including Leh, Kargil, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass. The local representatives are likely to get a bigger role in development planning and administration in their respective districts by the councils.

Earlier this year, the creation of the five new districts have already changed the administrative map of Ladakh, adding the extension to an elected local governance structure to those new administrative units.

Although the election process is expected to move forward, specific dates haven't been fixed yet. According to Ladakh's administration, polls for the newly formed councils will take place at a later stage, once an official notification is issued under Section 8 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997.

In a post on social media platform X, Saxena noted that with the notification now issued, preparations for council elections would get underway in due course. The notification takes effect once it's published in the Official Gazette.

This expansion means elected hill councils will now extend beyond just Leh and Kargil to cover local governance more broadly. Officials say the move is meant to bring governance closer to residents, giving local concerns more weight in district-level planning and development decisions.

Describing it as a "historic day" for the region, Saxena said the step would decentralize power, reinforce local institutions, and address longstanding grassroots demands. He remarked that setting up Autonomous Hill Development Councils across all seven districts marks a major step forward for grassroots governance in Ladakh.

He further stated that the initiative would give residents greater say in shaping their own development and progress. This announcement arrives at a crucial juncture for the Union Territory, which currently has no legislative assembly and has, until now, only had functioning autonomous hill councils in Leh and Kargil.

He further stated that the initiative would give residents to chart their own path of inclusive development and progress. The latest announcement arrives at a crucial point for Ladakh's governance, which has no legislative assembly, and has, until now, only had functioning autonomous hill councils operating in Leh and Kargil.