Srinagar, May 22: In a major development, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Friday reached an “in-principle” understanding with the Central government on restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing constitutional safeguards on the lines of Articles 371A, 371F, and 371G, as applied to Nagaland, Sikkim, and Mizoram.

The understanding emerged during a meeting between the sub-committee of LAB and KDA representatives and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), where discussions were held on Ladakh’s future administrative and political framework.
As per a joint statement issued by LAB and KDA, it was stated that the Ladakh leaders reiterated the long-standing aspirations of the people of Ladakh regarding the restoration of democracy, constitutional safeguards, and the demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections, reflecting the shared commitment of all stakeholders towards an inclusive and sustainable governance framework for the region.
The two bodies said that following detailed and constructive deliberations, both sides arrived at an in-principle understanding on several critical points.
“In this Article 371 model, the legislative, executive, and financial powers will rest with elected representatives through a Union Territory-level legislative body,” the statement said.
It stated that all bureaucrats in the UT, including the Chief Secretary, will come under the executive head of the UT-level elected body, proposed to be a Chief Minister.
MHA officials explained that the only reason Ladakh cannot be granted statehood at present is its inadequate revenue generation to meet revenue expenditure, such as employee salaries.
However, this arrangement will move Ladakh towards full statehood once it meets the revenue criteria.
KDA and LAB said they look forward to working closely with MHA to finalise the operational details in consultation with legal and constitutional experts.