MHA, Ladakh leaders agree on elected UT body with executive, financial and legislative powers

Sewang Rigzin

Leh, July 3: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and representatives of Ladakh have agreed in principle to establish a Union Territory-level elected body with executive, financial and legislative powers as the first step towards strengthening democratic governance in Ladakh, according to the minutes of the fifth meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) Sub-Committee. The meeting was held on May 22 in New Delhi, while the minutes were finalised during a follow-up meeting held at the Ladakh Secretariat in Leh on Friday.

Describing Friday's meeting as "fruitful", Leh Apex Body Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook said the MHA representatives and Ladakh leaders had finally reached a consensus on the minutes of the May 22 meeting. He said employment-related issues, including the establishment of the Ladakh Public Service Commission, employees' cadre, Ladakh Administrative Service, and Ladakh Police Service , were also discussed.

"We, the Apex Body and KDA, will submit a draft proposal to the government after consulting experts. The government also has to present its draft proposal, which has not yet been finalised," Lakrook said.

Referring to certain decisions taken by the UT Administration in recent months without consulting local stakeholders, Lakrook cautioned the administration against taking any decision that could harm the interests of the people. He said the administration should not assume that public protests would not take place because of the presence of the Dalai Lama in Ladakh, adding that people have several democratic means of expressing their concerns, incldung village-level protests to outside Ladakh just as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is already doing one in Delhi.

Earlier, the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had expressed resentment over the delay in issuing the minutes of the May 22 meeting, alleging that some decisions taken during the meeting were omitted from the draft minutes shown to Apex Body by the UT Administration.

Speaking to the media, KDA Co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar had helped push the Centre to resume dialogue with Ladakh's representatives as MHA representatives came running to Ladakh to resume talks. He added that if required, members of the Leh Apex Body and KDA would travel to New Delhi to express solidarity with Wangchuk, saying he was standing for the cause of Ladakh as well as the youth of the country.

According to the minutes of the 22 May issued on Friday, the meeting held in Delhi reviewed progress made during the previous rounds of discussions and deliberated on the future governance structure for Ladakh. The minutes state that participants unanimously agreed that while statehood would remain Ladakh's long-term aspiration, the immediate priority would be to establish a customised governance model through a UT-level elected body with executive, financial and legislative powers.

Representatives from Ladakh proposed making the bureaucracy accountable to the elected government. It was agreed that, for subjects under the jurisdiction of the proposed UT-level elected body, control and supervision over the bureaucracy, including the Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR), would rest with the elected executive body. Detailed provisions will be finalised in future meetings under the Transaction of Business Rules.

The meeting also discussed constitutional safeguards under Article 371, noting that several states have special provisions under Articles 371A to 371J. It was decided that a customised sui generis governance model best suited to Ladakh would be adopted. A draft proposal outlining the executive, financial and legislative powers of the proposed elected body, along with its relationship with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), will be prepared for further discussion and refinement.

During the meeting, representatives from Ladakh reiterated their long-standing demands for statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, and the creation of separate Ladakh Administrative Service (LAS) and Ladakh Police Service (LPS). They also sought the withdrawal of cases registered after the September 24, 2025 incident, the minutes state.

The document further notes that participants acknowledged the Centre's support to Ladakh through dialogue initiatives, domicile and reservation laws, employment measures, infrastructure development, cultural recognition and administrative reforms.

The meeting held in Leh on Friday (July 3, 2026) was attended by Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra; Additional Secretary (MHA) Prashant S. Lokhande; Member of Parliament Mohmad Haneefa Jan; former MP Thupstan Chhewang; Apex Body Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook; LAHDC Kargil Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor Dr. Mohd. Jaffar Akhoon; KDA Co-chairmen Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Hussain Kargili; Ladakh Gonpa Association Vice President Ven. Lobzang Tashi; former MLA Deldan Namgyal; and former LAHDC Leh Chief Executive Councillor Tashi Gyalson.