SRINAGAR: In a major administrative decision, Lt Governor of Ladakh V K Saxena on Monday approved the notification for the creation of five new districts in the Ladakh Union Territory, taking the number of districts in the cold desert to seven.
“I have approved the notification for the creation of five new districts in Ladakh, fulfilling the aspirations and long-pending demand of the people of Ladakh,” Saxena said in a post on X.
The five new districts are Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.
Ladakh had only two districts --- Buddhists dominated Leh, and Muslims dominated the Kargil district. Ladakh has 86,904 square kilometers of area, bordering China and Pakistan. And as per the 2011 census, Ladakh has a population of 2.74 lakh. With the creation of five new districts, Ladakh will now have seven districts.
“The development is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed & prosperous Ladakh,” Saxena said.
He said this transformative decision, already approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024, under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah would strengthen grassroots governance, decentralise administration, & ensures faster delivery of public services to the people of Ladakh, especially those in remote & far-flung areas.
“Creation of new districts, apart from bringing governance closer to citizens, will create new avenues for growth, employment & entrepreneurship,” Saxena said.
“I reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that every citizen of Ladakh benefits from this historic decision, as we move together towards a brighter, stronger & more prosperous future,” he added.
People of Ladakh had long been demanding the creation of more districts to empower far-flung and border areas of the cold desert.