Leh, July 13, 2026

In a major governance overhaul, the Ladakh administration has announced that every one of its seven districts will now get its own Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC), extending elected local governance well beyond the two councils Leh and Kargil that have existed since 1995. Alongside this, officials have floated the idea of a new Union Territory-level body, to be built on a customised version of Article 371, that would sit above all seven councils.

The announcement was made by Ladakh’s Chief Secretary, Ashish Kundra, at a press conference in Leh, where he called it a “major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance.”

What Was Announced

Ladakh’s journey from two districts to seven began earlier this year. In April 2026, the region was reorganised, and five new districts Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass were carved out and notified, in addition to the existing Leh and Kargil.

Until now, elected representation through hill councils was limited to Leh and Kargil alone. That changes with this announcement. The Ladakh administration will constitute a separate Autonomous Hill Development Council for each of the seven districts, using powers that already exist under Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) Act, 1995 a provision that technically always allowed for a council in every district, but was never exercised beyond the original two.

Powers of the New Councils

According to the Chief Secretary, the new district-level councils will get the same core powers currently held by the Leh and Kargil councils, covering:

• Land management
• Employment
• Local taxation
• District-level development planning
• Health, education, and tourism at the district level
• Local infrastructure and social welfare schemes

Powers of the New Councils

According to the Chief Secretary, the new district-level councils will get the same core powers currently held by the Leh and Kargil councils, covering:

• Land management
• Employment
• Local taxation
• District-level development planning
• Health, education, and tourism at the district level
• Local infrastructure and social welfare schemes

Key points about this proposed body:

• It would carry legislative, executive, financial, and administrative powers.
• Its exact structure and powers will be finalised through consultations between Ladakh’s representatives and the Government of India nothing is locked in yet.
• Some rebalancing of powers between the district councils and this new UT-level body could follow once the framework is settled.
• Officials have confirmed that the seven hill councils are the first firm, confirmed element of this larger plan the UT body is still at the proposal and consultation stage.

Panchayati Raj to Continue Alongside Hill Councils

Importantly, the reform doesn’t replace existing grassroots institutions. The Chief Secretary clarified that Panchayati Raj institutions will continue to function alongside the new Hill Councils. This means Ladakh will now have elected representation operating simultaneously at three levels:

1. Village level : through Panchayati Raj institutions
2. District level : through the seven Autonomous Hill Development Councils
3. Union Territory level: through the proposed new body

What’s Still Pending: Elections and Council Size

Some operational details remain undecided. Leh and Kargil’s existing councils each have 30 members (26 elected and 4 nominated), but it hasn’t yet been decided how many members the new seven councils will have.

A final call on holding elections for the new councils is also expected only after there’s more clarity on the structure of the proposed UT level body meaning the two decisions are likely to move together.

Background: Why This Matters for Ladakh

Since Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019, there have been sustained demands from civil society groups including the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for stronger constitutional safeguards, protection of land and jobs for locals, and greater local political representation. This latest move follows continued talks between these groups and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The push to extend hill councils to all seven districts, paired with a proposed Article 371 style framework at the UT level, appears to be the administration’s response to these long-standing demands even as many of the finer details are still being worked out through consultation.

Key Takeaways

• All 7 districts of Ladakh will get their own Autonomous Hill Development Council.
• New councils get powers over land, jobs, taxation, and local development.
• A UT-level body under a customised Article 371 model has been proposed, but its powers are still under discussion.
• Panchayati Raj institutions will continue alongside the new councils.
• Elections and council size will be decided once the UT-level body’s structure is finalised.

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