E-Paper
DCs, SPs appointed for five new districts of Ladakh
Move aims to operationalise the administrative machinery in Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass within 24 hours of district formation.
Following the landmark creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday approved the immediate appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to lead the new administrative units.
The appointments come just one day after the formal notification of Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass as independent districts. This move addresses long-standing demands for decentralisation in a region where remote communities often travelled over 300km to access district-level services in Leh or Kargil.
The lieutenant governor directed the newly appointed officers to assume charge without delay, emphasising that the primary goal is to bring the administration to the doorstep of people living in Ladakh’s remote frontiers. Saxena said that a robust administrative framework is being put in place to translate the vision of district creation into tangible benefits. He said that subordinate staff positions and logistical requirements would be finalised on priority to ensure the new offices—headquartered in Diskit, Khaltse, Nyoma, Padum, and Drass-Ranbirpura—are fully functional.
In Changthang, headquartered at Nyoma, Nitish Rajoria (IAS) has been appointed as deputy commissioner with Abbas Jaffari (JKPS) serving as superintendent of police.
The district of Nubra, centered at Diskit, will be led by DC Mukul Beniwal (IAS) and SP Stanzin Losal (JKPS).
In Zanskar, based in Padum, Imkar Rajendra Gundage (IAS) takes charge as DC alongside SP Rigzen Sandup (JKPS).
The new district of Sham, headquartered at Khaltse, will be headed by DC Kunzes Angmo (JKAS) and SP Aijaz Malik (JKPS), while Drass will see Imteeaz Kacho (JKAS) take the helm as DC with Ishtyaq Ahmad (JKPS) as SP.
The creation of these districts increases Ladakh’s total count from two to seven. This restructuring is intended to overcome the geographical challenges of the sprawling, mountainous terrain.
Three districts—Nubra, Sham, and Changthang—have been carved out of Leh, while Zanskar and Drass originate from Kargil.
During this transition phase, the existing administrations of Leh and Kargil will continue to function with their current officials, coordinating closely with the new appointees to ensure a seamless handover of jurisdictional responsibilities. The LG said this decentralisation will significantly improve service delivery and strengthen the law-and-order apparatus at the grassroots level.
