Context:
The Ladakh Administration has announced that the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act will be extended to all seven districts of the Union Territory, alongside the creation of 17 new tehsils. The move aims to strengthen grassroots governance while discussions on constitutional safeguards for Ladakh continue.
Explanation:
- Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, without a Legislative Assembly.
- Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) are statutory local self-governance bodies, first established in Leh (1995) and Kargil (2003) to administer hill areas.
- LAHDCs function under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, exercising powers over local planning, rural development, education, health, agriculture, land management, and public works.
- Unlike the Sixth Schedule Autonomous District Councils, LAHDCs do not enjoy constitutional status and derive powers from legislation.
- Article 371 provides special provisions for certain States, while the Sixth Schedule grants constitutional autonomy to tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
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LAHDC Expansion: Strengthening Grassroots Governance