Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu, January 24, 2026:
The National Conference (NC) today renewed calls for the creation of a Hill Development Council for the Chenab Valley, underscoring that it remains a long-pending demand of the people and drawing parallels with the Ladakh Hill Development Council governance model. The demand was reiterated during a detailed and constructive discussion held at the Jammu residence of Hon’ble Rajya Sabha MP Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, where leaders discussed key public issues including the Chenab Hill Development Council, the proposed National Law University, and the challenges facing the Doda Assembly constituency.
NC leaders emphasized that despite repeated demands over decades, the Chenab region — comprising the districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban — has continued to face administrative neglect, developmental backlogs, and infrastructure gaps, prompting renewed focus on autonomous governance structures that can deliver region-specific development and effective decentralised decision-making. 
A focal point of the discussion was comparison with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), which has played a significant role in decentralised governance and region-centred development in Ladakh. NC leaders argued that Chenab, with similar hilly terrain, challenging connectivity and socio-economic needs, merits an equivalent institutional mechanism to ensure participatory planning, accelerated growth and equitable resource allocation.
The historical roots of the demand were also highlighted. During Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s tenure as Chief Minister, the J&K legislature passed a resolution seeking a Hill Council for Chenab Valley on August 19, 2009, which was moved by Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, then MLA from Doda. This legislative step was seen as an early formal assertion of the region’s demand for autonomy and had helped maintain the issue in public and political discourse. 
NC Zonal Youth President Chenab Valley, Sarshad Natnoo, speaking during the interaction, noted that the youth of the valley continue to face acute challenges including limited employment opportunities, inadequate higher education institutions and poor basic infrastructure. He said that empowerment through a Hill Development Council would provide a decisive boost to youth aspirations and regional progress.
Former MLA Ramban and Zonal Secretary Chenab Zone, Dr. Chaman Lal, who was also present, underlined that decades of demands, legislative proposals and political promises have yet to translate into concrete policy action. He cited poor road networks, healthcare shortages, disaster response gaps and administrative constraints as persistent issues that a council structure could address more effectively than current arrangements.
NC leaders reiterated that the Chenab Valley’s unique geographic and developmental context necessitates an autonomous council which can tailor programmes and policies to local needs, similar to the success of the Ladakh model.
The meeting concluded with the NC leadership urging the government to seriously consider the long-standing demand and initiate a fresh dialogue on establishing the Chenab Hill Development Council to deliver inclusive growth and administrative justice to the region’s people.
