Ladakh gets 7 autonomous hill development councils

Moving one step closer towards decentralisation and strengthening of grassroots governance in Ladakh, the Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, on Thursday approved the notification for the creation of seven Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs).

The Centre, on 13 July 2026, had announced the creation of new LAHDCs in the UT of Ladakh. With the approval, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) will now be extended to all seven districts of Ladakh, namely Leh, Kargil, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass.

The framework of elected local self-governance, which was earlier limited to Leh and Kargil, will thereby also be extended to the five newly created districts in the UT.

The formal announcement was made by the Office of the LG Ladakh in a post on X. “Today, I have approved the notification for the creation of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in all 7 districts in the Union Territory.

This landmark move follows the historic creation of five new districts — Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass, and Changthang in April this year, and the Centre’s subsequent decision to extend LAHDCs to all 7 districts, on 13 July”.

In the same post, LG Ladakh, while thanking PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, noted that the momentous decision will decentralise and strengthen local governance, ensure true autonomy for our local bodies, and fulfil the long-standing aspirations of our people, at the grassroots level.

With the notification in place, the process for elections to these councils shall begin in due course. “I am confident this would empower Ladakh and its people to chart its own path of progress and inclusive development. It reaffirms our collective resolve for building a stronger, developed and more empowered Ladakh. I congratulate every citizen of Ladakh on this historic occasion”, LG Saxena said.

Local leaders and civil society groups have welcomed the step, viewing it as a significant movement toward democratic decentralisation and administrative empowerment of the cold desert region.

The development marks a significant step towards decentralisation and strengthening of grassroots governance in Ladakh.

The creation of the new councils will provide institutional mechanisms for greater participation of people in matters relating to the development and administration of their respective districts.

The notification issued by the Revenue Department, UT of Ladakh, says the elections to the newly constituted Councils will be held in due course after a formal notification is issued under Section 8 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997.

The notification will come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, an official spokesman said.