Ladakh's New Autonomous Hill Development Councils
Ladakh's New Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Polity)
Why In News:
The government is set to extend the Autonomous Hill Development Council model to all districts of Ladakh, strengthening decentralised governance in the Union Territory.
Autonomous Hill Development Councils in Ladakh
Ladakh became a separate Union Territory on 31 October 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The hill-council model seeks to provide decentralised governance suited to Ladakh's difficult terrain, dispersed settlements and distinct local conditions.
The LAHDCs were established under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997 to strengthen local participation in development and administration.
Councils have elected representatives and deal with areas such as agriculture, land use, education, health, local infrastructure and rural development.
The councils are not equivalent to Sixth Schedule Autonomous District Councils; their legal basis and powers arise from the Ladakh-specific legislation.
Sixth Schedule & Constitutional Linkages
Constitutional Basis: The Sixth Schedule is linked to Article 244(2) and provides for Autonomous District and Regional Councils in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Powers: These councils have significant powers over legislation, administration, justice and taxation in specified matters, subject to constitutional provisions.
Sixth vs Fifth Schedule: Article 244(1) deals with the Fifth Schedule for Scheduled Areas, while Article 244(2) deals with the Sixth Schedule; Ladakh is not currently covered by the Sixth Schedule, though demands for its inclusion have been raised.
Ladakh Governance & Geography
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Jammu & Kashmir became a UT with a legislature, while Ladakh became a UT without a legislature.
A UT without a legislature is administered by the President through an Administrator/Lieutenant Governor under Article 239.
Ladakh lies in the Trans-Himalayan region and includes the Ladakh Range, Karakoram Range and high-altitude cold-desert areas.
Important geographical features include the Indus River system, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Nubra Valley, Changthang Plateau and Siachen Glacier.
Ladakh has a strategically important location, sharing the Line of Actual Control with China and being close to areas adjoining Pakistan.