chief secretary Ashish Kundra announced the decision on Monday, stating that the move addresses the demand of the locals from each of these new districts – Drass, Sham, Nubra, Changthang and Zanskar. (File Photo)The Ladakh administration on Monday announced the setting up of Autonomous Hill Development Councils for each of the new districts created in the Ladakh Union Territory.Until now, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) have existed in the two districts of Leh and Kargil. The administration had notified the creation of five new districts in April.Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra announced the decision on Monday, stating that the move addresses the demand of the locals from each of these new districts – Drass, Sham, Nubra, Changthang and Zanskar.“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,” Kundra said.He said that a team from the Centre had recently visited Ladakh, following which a consensus emerged that a Union Territory-level body would be created under Article 371 of the Constitution and “a new and customised model under Article 371 would be created for Ladakh with the best provisions from other states applicable to Ladakh”.The proposed body would exercise legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers. The framework for this is currently under review, the chief secretary said, adding that “2026 will be a watershed year in Ladakh’s history”.Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act provides for the constitution of a council in each district by government notification. “Therefore, the administration has decided to extend this to all of the new districts,” Kundra said.Story continues below this adEven as part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, the LAHDCs have served as key governance units in Ladakh, empowered to make decisions on land and employment in the region. These remain key concerns even now. Elections to these councils have also been keenly fought.Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More Tags:Ladakh