‘Democratic decentralisation’: Govt announces hill councils for all 7 Ladakh districts
The government of Ladakh has announced the establishment of autonomous hill development councils in all seven districts to promote grassroots governance. This move aims to decentralize power and address the specific administrative needs of the newly formed districts.
Why it matters
The expansion of autonomous councils is a significant administrative reform intended to empower local populations in a strategically sensitive and geographically vast region.
SRINAGAR: The Union Territory of Ladakh will now have a hill development council in all seven districts, govt announced Monday, stressing that the move was aimed at strengthening grassroots governance.Ladakh chief secretary Asish Kundra said at a presser in Leh that section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already provides for a council in every district, and only some minor amendments to the legislation would be required.“The govt has decided that LAHDCs will be constituted in all seven districts and they will have the powers provided under the LAHDC Act,” he said, describing the decision as “an important step toward democratic decentralisation”.“Ladakh is a vast territory of about 60,000 square km and the central govt is committed to strengthening administrative and democratic institutions across this entire region,” the chief secretary added.In Aug 2024, the Centre had approved five new Ladakh districts — Sham, Nubra and Changthang…
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