Seven-District LAHDC framework will bring governance closer to People: Skarma Namtak

VBL hails LAHDC expansion, thanks Centre, UT Admin

LEH: The establishment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in all seven districts of the Union Territory will help decentralise governance, improve access to public services and take administration closer to remote communities, Voice of Buddhist Ladakh (VBL) Convenor Skarma Namtak said in a letter of gratitude to the Union Government and the UT administration.

In the letter issued, on behalf of VBL and the people of Ladakh, particularly the Buddhist community, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra for the expansion of the LAHDC framework.

He also welcomed the drafting of the LAHDC Nautor Regularization Rules 2026, saying the two developments would strengthen the administrative framework of the Union Territory.

Namtak said extending LAHDCs to all seven districts would have particular relevance for communities living in remote and geographically difficult areas, where distance from existing administrative centres has often affected access to government services and development opportunities.

The VBL Convenor said the expanded council structure could provide a more decentralised mechanism for addressing local requirements and improving the delivery of government programmes at the grassroots level.

The organisation’s response follows the expansion of Ladakh’s administrative structure to seven districts — Leh, Kargil, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass.

VBL said the creation of LAHDCs across the expanded district framework would strengthen local participation in district-level administration and enable communities in far-flung areas to engage more directly with institutions responsible for local development and public services.

The organisation’s letter also placed the development in the context of Ladakh’s changing administrative landscape, with the creation of new districts intended to reduce the administrative distance between government institutions and residents.

While welcoming the measures, VBL’s statement primarily focused on their potential impact on grassroots administration, public service delivery and decentralisation, particularly in remote parts of the Union Territory. Namtak reiterated his gratitude to the Union Government and the Ladakh administration, describing the measures as steps that could strengthen local governance and improve administrative access across the region.