Ladakh is set to expand its elected local governance system to five newly created districts, taking the network of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) beyond Leh and Kargil. The move will bring elected hill councils to Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, Drass and Changthang. The process to set up the councils and hold elections will now move forward.

Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday approved the notification for creating LAHDCs in all seven districts of the Union Territory. The five new districts will now come under the same autonomous hill council framework that already operates in Leh and Kargil.

The decision follows the Centre’s move on July 13 to extend the autonomous hill council system to all seven districts of Ladakh. Until now, only Leh and Kargil had elected LAHDCs. The latest approval will extend the system to Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass.

For people living in the five new districts, the decision marks the start of the process to establish their own elected local councils. These councils are expected to give local representatives a larger role in development planning and administration. They will also provide a formal platform for local priorities to shape decisions at the district level.

The expansion comes after Ladakh created five new districts earlier this year. The administrative changes had redrawn the region’s district map. Extending the LAHDC system to these areas will now add an elected governance structure to the newly formed administrative units.

However, the administration has not announced dates for the elections yet. It said 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.

Saxena said in a post on X that the notification had been put in place and the process for elections to the councils would begin in due course. The notification will take effect from the date it is published in the Official Gazette.

The move is significant for Ladakh’s local administration. The Union Territory does not have a legislative assembly. So far, elected autonomous hill councils have functioned only in Leh and Kargil. With the system now being extended to all seven districts, residents of the five new districts will also get an elected local body to represent their interests.

The administration said the expanded council system will help bring decision-making closer to the people. It will also give greater importance to local needs in planning and development across the districts. The councils are expected to strengthen local participation in governance and allow communities to play a larger role in determining their development priorities.

Saxena described the development as a "historic day" for Ladakh. He said the move would decentralise governance, strengthen local bodies and fulfil the long-standing aspirations of people at the grassroots level.

"The creation of Autonomous Hill Development Councils in all seven districts is a milestone in strengthening grassroots governance in Ladakh," he said.

He added that the move would empower people to chart their own path of progress and inclusive development.

The extension of LAHDCs to all seven districts marks an important step in Ladakh’s evolving administrative structure. It will give the newly created districts an elected local governance mechanism while expanding the role of people’s representatives in district-level affairs.

The next stage will be the formal notification under the relevant law, followed by the election process for the five new councils. While the dates are yet to be announced, the latest approval has set the process in motion and expanded the scope of elected hill council governance across Ladakh.