Autonomous Hill Development Councils to be Established in All Seven Districts of Ladakh

Following the decision of the central government, the Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena has approved the formation of separate Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) in all seven districts of Ladakh. This step is considered important for strengthening local governance and bringing development to the grassroots level.

With this approval, elected hill councils will be formed not only in Leh and Kargil but also in the districts of Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Dras. Previously, this arrangement was limited to only two districts. The Lieutenant Governor thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for this historic step.

The formation of new councils will provide local people with greater opportunities to participate in the development and administration of their districts. This will decentralize governance at the local level and increase public involvement in development-related decisions. This arrangement is considered especially important in the five new districts as these areas are geographically remote and administratively challenging.

In April this year, five new districts were created in Ladakh, increasing the total number of districts from two to seven. However, the elected hill council arrangement was so far limited to Leh and Kargil only. On July 13, 2026, the central government decided to expand the LAHDC system to all seven districts.

Now, following the Lieutenant Governor's approval, the process to implement this decision has begun. The next phase will involve preparations for elections to these councils, including delimitation of constituencies and other administrative procedures. The administration has stated that elections for all seven councils will be conducted after the proper procedures are completed.

LAHDC has several powers related to local development plans, priorities, and the use of resources. Previously, people in the new districts raised their demands at the district administration level, but now they will have an elected council for their district which will serve as a formal platform to raise local issues and prioritize development plans.

In recent years, local people in Ladakh have been demanding constitutional protection, land and employment security, and political rights. This decision will strengthen local governance and increase public participation in the development process.