Ladakh New Districts: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday announced that he has approved the Central government’s notification to create five new districts in Ladakh, taking the total number of districts in the Union Territory from two to seven.
In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor described the move as a “historic day" for the region, as a long-pending demand of the people has been now accomplished.
“A historic day for Ladakh. I have approved the notification for creation of five new districts in Ladakh, fulfilling the aspirations and long pending demand of the people of Ladakh," he said in a post on X.
The newly created districts are Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass. Presently, Ladakh has two districts – Leh and Kargil. With the new addition, the Union Territory will now have seven districts in total.
The Lieutenant Governor said the move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and prosperous Ladakh. He added that the decision had already been approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024 under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to LG Saxena, the creation of new districts will strengthen grassroots governance, decentralise administration and ensure faster delivery of public services, particularly in remote and far-flung areas.
He also noted that the move is expected to create new opportunities for growth, employment and entrepreneurship, while bringing governance closer to the people.
Reaffirming his commitment, the Lieutenant Governor said efforts would be made to ensure that every citizen of Ladakh benefits from what he termed a transformative decision.
The development followed the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, which ended the special status of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided the region into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
