Ladakh gets 5 new districts; total count rises to seven
Winning the hearts and minds of the people of Ladakh, aspiring for good governance, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, on Monday approved the issuance of a notification to create five new districts in the Union Territory ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 30.
With this, the cold desert region of Ladakh will now have a total of seven districts. Kargil district will emerge as the biggest administrative unit with 80 revenue villages, followed by Leh with 44 revenue villages, after redrawing the territorial boundaries of the new districts.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had earlier approved the formation of five new districts on 26 August 2024.
Ladakh currently has only two districts, Leh and Kargil, each managed by its autonomous district council.
Lieutenant Governor, Saxena, described the move as “historic”, saying this would usher in a new era of inclusive development in the Union Territory by ensuring an effective and efficient delivery of services at the doorsteps.
“This transformative decision underscores the Government of India’s commitment to unlocking Ladakh’s immense potential and ensuring balanced, inclusive, and sustainable development across the Union Territory,” Saxena said.
As per the notification, three districts, namely, Nubra (Headquarters: Diskit), Sham (Headquarters: Khaltse), and Changthang (Headquarters: Nyoma) have been carved out from Leh district, while two districts - Zanskar (Headquarters: Padum) and Drass (Headquarters: Drass-Ranbirpura) have been carved out from Kargil district.
The new districts will take the benefits meant for the people to their doorsteps by bolstering governance in every nook and cranny.
The creation of five additional districts will decentralise governance, reduce travel distances for citizens (often exceeding 300 km), and ensure faster and more effective delivery of public services.
Importantly, the creation of new districts is also expected to generate significant employment opportunities through the establishment of new administrative offices, supporting infrastructure, and allied services.
This will further boost local employment, skill development, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities.
The move, the Lieutenant Governor said, was aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a developed and prosperous Ladakh, which was envisioned with the inception of Ladakh as a Union Territory in 2019.
Following the notification, the territorial limits of the seven districts have been defined.
Now, the Leh district will have 44 revenue villages, Nubra 30, and Changthang 24. Similarly, Kargil district will have 80 revenue villages, Sham district 27, Zanskar 26, and Drass 19.
