Centre proposes directly elected Ladakh UT body under Article 371
Big changes are coming to Ladakh's government.
The Center just announced plans for a new, directly elected UT-level body under Article 371, with consensus on holding direct constituency-based elections for the proposed body, rather than indirect elections through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs).
This move aims to give people in Ladakh more say in how their region is run.
Three-tier governance proposed for Ladakh
The idea is to better protect Ladakh's land, culture, resources, environment, and jobs.
The new setup will have three levels: Panchayats at the village level, LAHDCs for local issues, and now a UT-level body chosen by voters.
Local groups like Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance were consulted as the administration aimed to move toward a draft document before finalizing this plan.
Some legal changes will be needed before it kicks off.
Approved 79 Group-B posts for Ladakh
Alongside this governance update, 79 Group-B gazetted posts across 15 departments have been approved.
There are also plans for dedicated administrative and police services just for Ladakh.
Regional leaders are preparing for big discussions in October about compensation and resolving past disputes.