Ladakh to Get Five New Districts; LG Saxena Approves Central Government Notification
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena on Monday announced the formation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh, after formally approving a notification issued by the Central Government in this regard.
New Delhi: Making the announcement on social media platform ‘X’, the Lieutenant Governor described the occasion as a historic day, stating that a long-cherished aspiration of the people had finally been fulfilled.
Currently, Ladakh comprises two districts — Leh and Kargil. With the addition of the five newly approved districts, the total count will rise to seven, Saxena said. The newly created districts have been named Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed confidence that the reorganisation would enhance administrative efficiency and open new avenues for growth and employment in the region. He added that bringing governance directly to the doorstep of the people would usher in all-round development of the area. He further noted that the Union Home Ministry had accorded its approval to this transformative decision in August 2024.
Ladakh is the largest Union Territory in India by area, though among the smallest by population. It shares a border of 86,904 square kilometres with China and Pakistan. According to the 2011 Census, the region has a population of approximately 2.74 lakh.
It may be recalled that on August 5, 2019, the Central Government bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories following the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted special autonomous status to Kashmir. The Union Territory of Ladakh is administered directly under the Union Home Ministry.
