Ladakh to get 5 new districts, PM Modi calls it ‘step towards prosperity’

The move will take the total number of districts to seven in the Union territory.

Five new districts will be carved out in Ladakh, Union home minister Amit Shah announced on Monday, a move that will take the total number of districts to seven in the Union territory.

The Union territory presently has only two districts – Leh and Kargil.

Shah said the new districts will be created with an aim to “bolster governance in every nook and cranny”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the decision as “a step towards better governance and prosperity”.

The Union territory presently has two districts – Leh and Kargil.

In a post on X, Shah said: “In pursuit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh, the ministry of home affairs has decided to create five new districts in the Union territory. The new districts, namely Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang, will take the benefits meant for the people to their doorsteps by bolstering governance in every nook and cranny.”

He added: “The Modi government is committed to creating abundant opportunities for the people of Ladakh.”

Congratulating the people of Ladakh, Modi said the “creation of the new districts is a step towards better governance and prosperity”. “Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang will now receive more focused attention, bringing services and opportunities even closer to the people,” he said on X.

On August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir was stripped of its special status with the abrogation of Article 370, and bifurcated into Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Ladakh comes under the direct administrative control of the home ministry. The first assembly elections for all 90 seats in J&K in a decade will be held in three phases on September 18 and 25, and October 1.

Explaining the reason behind carving out the new districts, the home ministry in a statement said: “Ladakh is a very large Union territory in terms of area. At present, Ladakh has two districts – Leh and Kargil. It is one of the least populated areas of India. Being extremely difficult and inaccessible, at present the district administration was facing many difficulties in reaching the grassroots level.”

After the formation of the new districts, all the public welfare schemes of the central government and Ladakh administration will be able to reach the people easily and more and more people will be able to take advantage of them, the statement said. “This important decision of MHA will prove to be very useful in the all-round development of Ladakh,” it added.

Besides giving “in-principle approval” for the formation of five new districts, the home ministry has directed the Ladakh administration to form a committee to assess various aspects such as headquarters, boundaries, structure and creation of posts, and submit a report in this regard within three months, the statement said.

Once the report is finalised, the Ladakh administration will send a final proposal on the creation of the new districts to the ministry for further action, the statement added. “The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is fully committed to creating immense possibilities for the people of Ladakh,” it said.

The Congress asked whether there will be elected Autonomous Hill Development Councils for each of the new districts and will they have a much more meaningful and relevant say in how budgets are spent.

“The elected Autonomous Hill Development Council for Leh was established in 1995. The elected Autonomous Hill Development Council for Kargil was set up in 2003. Now five new districts have been formed in Ladakh in addition to Leh and Kargil. Will there be elected Autonomous Hill Development Councils for each of the five new districts as well? Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said.

Ladakh has seen protests seeking restoration of statehood with legislature and recognition as a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule, along with job reservations for local residents. While J&K has a legislature, Ladakh was declared a Union territory without one.

A place of geopolitical and strategic significance, Ladakh served as a buffer zone between India and two neighbours – China and Pakistan. The Indian Army has maintained a strong presence in Ladakh since the 2020 Galwan clashes, in which 20 soldiers were killed.