Ladakh to get autonomous hill councils in all 7 districts under Art 371

Ladak : Ladakh is set to significantly deepen democratic decentralisation with the establishment of an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) in each of its seven districts, a landmark move that will extend elected local self-governance and introduce a unique Union Territory-level governance model under a customised Article 371 framework.

Ladakh will establish an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) in each of its seven districts, expanding democratic decentralisation beyond Leh and Kargil.

The new districts — Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass — will now have the same authority over land, recruitment, and revenue as Leh (since 1995) and Kargil (since 2003).

Each AHDC will have a dedicated Council Fund, authority to levy taxes, and power to prepare its own development plans, ensuring independent revenue and local priority setting.

A Union Territory-level institution is proposed under a customised Article 371 framework, exercising legislative, executive, financial, and administrative powers above the seven Hill Councils.

Panchayati Raj institutions will continue to function alongside the Hill Councils, ensuring elected representation at village, district, and UT levels.
 
In a landmark move to deepen democratic decentralisation in Ladakh, the Union Territory administration on Monday announced an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) for each of its seven districts, extending the existing framework of elected local self-governance beyond Leh and Kargil.

Announcing the decision, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra also said the proposed Union Territory-level body under a customised Article 371 framework would sit above the seven Hill Councils, exercising legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers - a first-of-its-kind governance model tailored for Ladakh.

Expanding Local Governance : Ladakh moved from two districts to seven in April 2026, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass were notified. Elected representation until now has stayed with the two existing Councils in Leh and Kargil.

"The Ladakh Administration has decided to constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. It is a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance," the chief secretary told reporters.

Explaining the legal framework, Kundra said Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already provides for the constitution of a Council in every district through a government notification published in the Official Gazette.

He said only the necessary amendments to the Act, wherever required, and the delimitation of constituencies remain before the new councils can be constituted.

Powers and Financial Autonomy  Kundra said 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," he said. The 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, he said.

Councils regulate recruitment and promotion for district cadre posts, he said, adding employment decisions in the new districts will rest with an elected body inside the district.

Kundra said each AHDC will have a dedicated Council Fund and the authority to levy taxes, fees and other charges in accordance with the law, giving every district an independent revenue base. He said the councils will prepare their own development plans, enabling each district to determine its priorities instead of relying on decisions taken in Leh or Kargil.

The councils will oversee key sectors such as health, education, tourism, local infrastructure and social welfare programmes at the district level, strengthening decentralised governance and service delivery, he said.

Proposed UT-Level Institution : The chief secretary also outlined the administration's proposal for a Union Territory-level institution above the seven Councils under a customised Article 371 framework.

The proposed body would exercise legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers, and would be a first-of-its-kind model drawing on the best features of similar constitutional and administrative arrangements elsewhere in the country, he said.

The structure and powers of the proposed Union Territory-level body would be finalised through consultations between Ladakh's representatives and the central government, he said.

As part of the process, certain powers may be redistributed between the Hill Councils and the new institution.

However, the decision to constitute an AHDC in each of the seven districts is the first concrete step towards the proposed governance framework, he said.

Kundra said the Panchayati Raj institutions would continue to function alongside the Hill Councils, ensuring elected representation at the village, district and Union Territory levels.