Ladakh's full statehood soon? In-principle agreement reached on legislative assembly
What's the story
In a landmark development, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have reached an in-principle agreement with the government to restore democracy in Ladakh. The agreement seeks to replace fragmented district councils with a single Union Territory-level legislative body comprising elected representatives. This was the first meeting between these groups and the Union Home Ministry since February 4.
Activist's praise
Discussed Article 371 for assembly of elected representatives
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was part of the civil society delegation to Delhi, hailed the government's "very different and positive stand." He told NDTV that they discussed Article 371 for an assembly of elected representatives for Ladakh. "The understanding is that the only reason we cannot get statehood right now is this revenue shortfall," he said.
New powers
New UT-level body to have legislative, executive, financial powers
The proposed framework will give the new UT-level body legislative, executive, and financial powers. All bureaucrats will function under an elected chief minister. This is a major change from the current system, where the lieutenant governor controls nearly 88% of the budget. The Ministry of Home Affairs has acknowledged that full statehood can't be granted immediately due to Ladakh's limited revenue generation capacity, but hasn't ruled it out completely.
Local governance
Now, our mistakes will be our own: Wangchuk
Wangchuk stressed that this agreement puts locals in charge of decisions affecting their future, rather than transient administrators. He said, "Now, even our mistakes will be our own." The activist also linked this democratic victory to environmental protection and urged Delhi to support sustainable decisions for Ladakh's mountains. This agreement comes after years of protests and advocacy from Ladakh's residents.
Budget control
Studies will be conducted to see if Ladakh can support...
Wangchuk also stressed that financial decisions will now be taken by elected representatives, not the Lieutenant Governor. He said, "The Centre said that it cannot bear 100% of the budget, and a state has to have its own resources." The climate activist added that studies will be conducted to see if Ladakh can support full statehood financially.