Leh: The Ladakh administration has begun preparations for Panchayat elections in the Union Territory, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, said during a press conference in Leh on Wednesday.
The announcement came as the administration outlined developments in recruitment, local governance, land-use provisions and other administrative reforms. The administration has said the Election Commission will be approached to initiate the election process, with electoral rolls to be revised before the polls are notified.
The Panchayati Raj institutions are expected to continue alongside the Hill Councils as Ladakh expands its local governance structure across its seven districts.
Panchayat Elections: Key Points
- Preparation for Panchayat elections has commenced.
- The Election Commission is expected to revise electoral rolls before notification.
- Panchayati Raj institutions will function alongside the Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
- Ladakh currently has seven districts, following the creation of five new districts earlier this year.
1,340 of 1,609 Advertised Posts Filled
Kundra said 1,340 of the 1,609 posts advertised under the administrative recruitment process have been filled.
Another 314 vacancies have been filled through the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) process.
The administration has also advertised recruitment for 302 Group B and Group C posts, while recruitment for around 1,205 posts is expected to be taken forward in the coming weeks.
Recruitment has also begun for 40 Sub-Inspector posts, while notifications for Teachers and Police Constables are expected to be issued shortly.
224 Gazetted Vacancies Notified
On recruitment through the UPSC and professional posts, the Chief Secretary said 224 gazetted vacancies have been notified.
This includes 125 Medical Officer posts, for which interviews are expected to begin next month.
The administration also highlighted recruitment and appointments in higher education, including posts of:
- Lecturers
- Assistant Professors
- Associate Professors
Several appointments have already been completed, with additional recruitment processes scheduled in the coming months.
Seven-District Administrative Structure
Ladakh now has seven districts, and the administration is strengthening institutional arrangements, manpower and administrative infrastructure across them.
The five new districts notified earlier this year are Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass, taking the total number of districts from two to seven.
The administration had also announced plans to establish an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. The existing LAHDCs are in Leh and Kargil.
New Tehsil-Level Administrative Arrangements
Kundra said new tehsils have been created in place of 17 Sub-Tehsils in different areas.
Requests from other areas seeking tehsil-level administrative arrangements will also be examined, according to the administration.
The move comes alongside the expansion of Ladakh’s administrative structure following the creation of the five new districts.
Land-Use Changes and Nautor Rights
The Chief Secretary also discussed recently approved provisions relating to land-use changes.
A mechanism is being established to allow eligible landowners to use agricultural land for permitted non-agricultural purposes, including industrial and other productive activities.
A dedicated portal is also being developed for applications under the new mechanism.
The Lieutenant Governor has additionally decided to regularise long-pending Nautor land tenancy rights, including cases involving unauthorised allotments.
Administration Highlights Transparency and Recruitment
Kundra reiterated the administration’s focus on transparent governance, implementation of reforms and engagement with citizens and stakeholders.
The press conference covered recruitment, administrative restructuring, Panchayat elections, land-use provisions and other governance-related developments across Ladakh.
