Centre Amends Ladakh Hill Council Rules, Caps Elected Seats At 24 Per Council

The central government has amended the legal and administrative framework governing Ladakh’s Autonomous Hill Development Councils, aligning their provisions with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which created the Union territory of Ladakh.

Under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, the number of elected seats in each council will be determined by the Ladakh administration, with a minimum of seven and a maximum of 24 seats. The administration can also nominate up to four members representing women and unrepresented communities, subject to the conditions specified in the regulation.

The sitting Lok Sabha member representing Ladakh will be an ex-officio member of the councils constituted for each district.

Changes To Council Structure And Elections

Each council will have a five-year term beginning from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless dissolved earlier. The term may be extended if holding elections is considered impracticable.

The amendment also replaces references to the state and governor in the existing framework with the Union territory of Ladakh and its administrator, respectively.

The State Election Commission for Ladakh will have the superintendence, direction and control of council elections and the preparation of electoral rolls.

Election disputes can be raised through petitions filed directly before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within 45 days of the declaration of results.

The regulation defines the districts covered by the framework to include Leh, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Kargil, Zanskar and Drass, as well as any districts created subsequently.

Councils To Exercise District-Level Panchayat Powers

The amended framework provides that the councils will exercise the powers and perform the functions of panchayats at the district level under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.

For this purpose, the councils will be deemed to be district-level panchayats, bringing their functions within the relevant provisions of the Act.

The changes revise the councils’ administrative structure, electoral arrangements and legal terminology to reflect Ladakh’s status as a Union territory following the 2019 reorganisation.