Ladakh Extends Autonomous Hill Councils to Seven Districts

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the creation of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) across all seven districts of the Union Territory of Ladakh on Thursday. This action extends the elected local self-governance framework, which was previously limited to Leh and Kargil, to five newly created districts: Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.

The decision follows a July 13 announcement by the central government and the formal establishment of the five new districts in April 2026. The initiative seeks to decentralize administration and increase grassroots participation in district-level planning. Saxena stated that the creation of these councils is a "milestone in strengthening grassroots governance in Ladakh."

The Revenue Department of the Union Territory of Ladakh confirmed that elections for the newly constituted councils will take place following a formal notification issued under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act of 1997.