Ladakh groups reject Centre's draft proposal as PM Modi opens Rs 3,350-crore projects

Civil society leadership in Ladakh has rejected a 15-page draft governance proposal circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, asserting that the blueprint offers a limited council system rather than the legislative assembly they have sought.

The rejection by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally opened infrastructure and energy projects worth around Rs 3,350 crore across the Union Territory. The dual developments highlight the Centre's rapid push to deliver physical connectivity, energy access, and administrative presence to the frontier region even as negotiations over long-term constitutional safeguards continue.

What the groups are disputing

In a joint statement, the LAB and the KDA claimed the draft plan departed from understandings reached during committee meetings earlier this year. The groups argued that the Home Ministry’s proposal resembled an arrangement akin to the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), concentrating substantial authority with the Lieutenant Governor’s administration rather than creating an elected Union Territory legislature.

Talks held on 22 May and recorded on 3 July had outlined establishing a tailored Union Territory-level elected body equipped with legislative, executive, and financial powers. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra previously described the initiative as working toward a unique model under Article 371 of the Constitution. The civil groups maintain that their memorandum of understanding, submitted on 15 October, must serve as the basis for further engagement. They intend to deliver a formal written response ahead of a scheduled meeting in New Delhi on 22 October.

Alongside the political dialogue, the regional administration recently expanded Ladakh's administrative footprint, announcing Sankoo as the eighth district alongside planned new districts for Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass. The expansion aims to bring governance closer to local communities across an expansive area of 59,146 square kilometres.

Major infrastructure delivered

Speaking at the virtual inauguration of regional projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that Ladakh’s modern connectivity, youth skills, and local livelihoods remain a central priority for the government. "Our special focus is on the new generation of Ladakh," he said, outlining plans for local centres of excellence and satellite campuses linked to IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu.

The projects dedicated to the Union Territory focus heavily on all-weather transport corridors and clean power generation designed for high-altitude terrain.

The new passenger terminal at Leh's Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport incorporates geothermal heating and solar systems to support year-round commercial tourism. Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation's 298-kilometre Nimmu-Padum-Darcha highway reduces travel times along the strategic axis from roughly 12 hours down to three, significantly enhancing logistics for border communities.