Leh: The Union government and representatives of Ladakh are advancing a plan to provide constitutional safeguards to the region through a special provision under Article 371, alongside the creation of a Union Territory-level elected body endowed with legislative, executive and financial powers, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said on Thursday.
Framework under discussion
Kundra made the remarks after a sub-committee meeting in which officials from the UT administration and delegates from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) discussed follow-up steps to earlier rounds of talks. He said discussions have focused on a political architecture that preserves grassroots institutions while adding a UT-level body above existing local bodies.
Explaining the proposed hierarchy, the chief secretary said the panchayat would remain the foundational unit, followed by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), and the proposed UT-level elected entity would sit above them.
"It was discussed that for providing constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, a special provision under Article 371 would be made, which could provide safeguards for the people here... safeguards should be provided for the land of the people of Ladakh, their culture, their environment and their natural resources," Kundra said.
Consultation, not imposition: Centre's approach
Kundra said the Centre does not intend to impose a pre-determined political model on Ladakh and will proceed only after wide consultation with stakeholders and the people of the Union Territory. He told reporters the sub-committee meeting aimed to take forward progress made in earlier dialogues and to brief representatives on the parliamentary steps needed for any constitutional amendment.
Officials were reported to have discussed both the broad contours of constitutional safeguards and the legislative pathway — including the nature of the amendment to the Constitution and the complementary laws that would be required to detail the proposed UT-level body's powers.
Next steps and timeline
Kundra said negotiations are continuing and that the next meeting is scheduled for October. He expressed the administration's expectation that an advanced draft of the Constitutional Amendment Bill could be prepared by that time for further discussion.
| Date/Meeting | Purpose | Outcome/Next step |
|---|---|---|
| July 3 | Earlier round of talks | Decided to take forward issues (briefed again) |
| September 9 | Sub-committee meeting in New Delhi | Follow-up discussion; briefed on parliamentary process |
| October (scheduled) | Next round of talks | Expectation of advanced draft of amendment |
What the safeguard aims to protect
According to Kundra, the proposed special provision would focus on protecting several key aspects of life in Ladakh. He listed the land rights of local inhabitants, cultural identity, environmental protections and control over natural resources as central concerns that the democratic movement in Ladakh seeks to secure.
- Land and resource protection: Measures to safeguard ownership, use and transfer of land.
- Preservation of culture: Legal architecture to protect local traditions and social institutions.
- Environmental safeguards: Provisions aimed at conserving fragile ecosystems and regulating development.
Legislative process to be explained
Officials at the meeting also briefed representatives on the parliamentary procedure for constitutional amendments and the complementary laws that would follow to spell out the proposed body's exact powers. Kundra said the UT administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs are working to ensure that the aspirations of Ladakh's people are taken into account in the process.
The chief secretary emphasised that concrete details, including the list of subject matters to be devolved and the mechanism for fiscal powers and administration, will be part of subsequent discussions and eventual legislative text.
Political context
The discussions follow sustained demands from local leaders and groups for greater constitutional protection and political safeguards since Ladakh's reorganisation into a Union Territory. Representatives from the region have repeatedly sought guarantees to preserve regional identity and control over land and resources.
Kundra's comments signal an institutional effort to convert those demands into a legal framework through an amendment to the Constitution backed by enabling legislation, subject to further consultation and consensus-building.
The next sub-committee meeting in October will be watched closely by political actors in Leh and Kargil as well as by residents concerned about how new arrangements might affect governance, local autonomy and resource management.
