Chairman of Fifth Finance Commission for Union Territories, Anil Kumar Jha, IAS (Retd.) evaluated role of the Hill Council and assessed its functioning and financial related issues during a meeting with Hill Council, Kargil on August 8.

The Commission’s Member Amey Sapre and Secretary Binay Bhushan, IAS were also present on the occasion.

During the meeting, the CEC, Executive Councillors, and Councillors raised several key issues for discussion, including the need to make the LAHDC Fund (Head 8448) non-lapsable. This change is crucial for Kargil, given its limited working season, as it would prevent fund lapses and improve project planning by alleviating year-end financial pressures.

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil also seeks the restoration of its re-appropriation and re-validation powers to enhance budget management, which is essential due to the region’s restricted working season and performance-based allocations.

The LAHDC proposed enhanced monitoring of Panchayat funds to ensure better implementation, timely execution, and avoidance of work duplication, leveraging its 30 elected and nominated members for comprehensive district oversight.

The LAHDC called for a budget increase to ₹500 crores, up from the current ₹243-344 crores, to complete ongoing projects and address funding shortfalls since the Union Territory formation.

Additionally, the LAHDC requested the restoration of its power to grant Administrative Approval for civil works, a capability it previously held before Ladakh became a Union Territory. This decentralization would expedite project initiation and improve efficiency across the district.

Other demands raised by LAHDC Kargil included an advance drawl power for the council, creation of a Revenue Deposit Head, a special package for clearing pending liabilities related to land, houses, and trees, and several development projects such as the Border Area Development Programme, extension of Kargil Civil Airport, evacuation of Kurbathang Lower Plateau, enhancement of grants under Urban Development, funding for rural tourism promotion, construction of a tunnel from Dandal Drass to Saliskote, and a special package for completing various construction projects.

During the meeting, DC Kargil Shrikant Suse, Director of Urban Local Bodies UT Ladakh Tahir Hussain Zubdavi, and Director RD&PRD Ladakh Syed Sajjad Qadri shared their experiences and recommendations.

Chairman Anil Kumar Jha assured that all demands and issues raised by LAHDC Kargil would be considered and forwarded to higher authorities. Following the meeting, the Hill Council Kargil and District Administration Kargil hosted a dinner for the Commission.