LG Ladakh establishes 7 autonomous Hill Councils in UT

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03 (STC): The Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh has established seven Autonomous Hill Development Councils for the Union Territory.
According to a notification issued by the Administration of Ladakh, the Councils are as follows: Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh for the District of Leh; Hill Development Council, Kargil for the district of Kargil; Hill Development Council, Sham for the district of Sham; Hill Development Council, Nubra for the district of Nubra; Hill Development Council, Changthang for the district of Changthang; Hill Development Council, Zanskar for the district of Zanskar; and Hill Development Council, Drass for the district of Drass.
While the term of the Hill Council in Leh ended on October 30, 2025, the Hill Council in Kargil still had more than two years left in its five-year tenure.
As per the notification, the seven Councils shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as are conferred or assigned to them under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997.
It adds that elections to these Councils shall be held in due course, following the issuance of a notification under Section 8 of the Act, which ensures that Hill Councils are regularly reconstituted through elections – either before the term expires or within six months if dissolved early.
Reports quoting sources said that the term of the Hill Council Kargil has automatically ended, as the latest notification supersedes all previous notifications regarding the constitution of Hill Development Councils in Ladakh.
There was no official statement from the Ladakh administration regarding the remaining term of the Hill Council Kargil, whose tenure was scheduled to end in October 2028.

(Straight Talk Communications I Inputs from KNO)