Councillor LAHDC Kargil backs Autonomous District Councils for all seven Ladakh Districts

Namgyal Phuntsok calls for wider consensus on MHA’s proposal

KARGIL: Nominated Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Namgyal Phuntsok has urged the establishment of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in all seven districts of Ladakh, criticising the reported rejection of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ proposal by the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) during the recent High-Powered Committee (HPC) deliberations.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Phuntsok welcomed what he described as the Union Government’s willingness to accommodate several demands relating to Ladakh’s political and administrative future. However, he expressed disappointment over the decision of the Apex Body Leh and the KDA to oppose the proposal for creating district-level autonomous councils during the HPC meeting held in Leh on July 2.

Arguing that each district possesses distinct geographical, cultural and linguistic characteristics, the nominated councillor said district-specific autonomous governance would help preserve local identities while ensuring that development planning reflects the aspirations and priorities of individual regions.

He further contended that most districts in Ladakh are geographically distant from the Union Territory headquarters and largely rural in character. According to Phuntsok, greater decentralisation through Autonomous District Councils would strengthen grassroots democracy, politically empower local communities and enable district administrations to implement development programmes tailored to local requirements.

Referring to governance models elsewhere in the country, Phuntsok observed that many regions had struggled for decades to secure autonomous administrative institutions. Against that backdrop, he said, it was surprising that a proposal reportedly offered by the Government of India had not found acceptance among the Apex Body and the KDA.

Seeking greater clarity on the issue, the councillor said the people of Ladakh deserved an explanation for the rejection of a proposal which, in his view, had the potential to deepen local self-governance and decentralised administration. He urged the leadership of both organisations to reconsider their position in the larger interest of the region.

Phuntsok also appealed to political leaders and residents of Ladakh’s five newly created districts to jointly submit a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking the establishment of Autonomous District Councils in all seven districts of the Union Territory. The statement comes amid continuing discussions on Ladakh’s constitutional and administrative framework following the latest round of talks between representatives of Ladakh and the Ministry of Home Affairs.