Ladakh to get five new districts; Vinai Kumar Saxena announces historic decision

LEH: The Union Territory of Ladakh will get five new districts. The announcement was made by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. With this, the total number of districts in Ladakh will increase to seven. Apart from the existing Leh and Kargil districts, five new districts- Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang- will be created.

This move fulfils a long-standing demand of the people of Ladakh. The decision follows in-principle approval given by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024. The Lieutenant Governor said in a post on X that the decision reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The move will help improve access to government services in remote areas. The creation of new district headquarters is also expected to generate employment opportunities in the administration and business sectors. It will also support infrastructure development and strengthen local governance.

Ladakh is India's largest Union Territory by area, covering 86,904 square kilometres, but it has one of the lowest populations. It was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370. The region is currently under the direct control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“This is a step towards a brighter future for Ladakh. I assure that every citizen will benefit from this decision,” Vinai Kumar Saxena said after the announcement.