Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday made a big announcement and said five new districts are set to be created in Ladakh. The development comes ahead of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections 2024. As per the Home Ministry, the new districts will be Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang. Currently, Ladakh has two district -- Leh and Kargi. With the new addition, the Union Territory will now have seven districts in total.
Taking to social media, Amit Shah stated that the decision was taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and that the new districts will take the benefits provided by the government to the people’s doorstep.
“In pursuit of PM Narendra Modi Ji’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh, the MHA 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,” Amit Shah said in a tweet.
The home minister stated that the Modi government is committed to creating abundant opportunities for the people of Ladakh.
Ladakh was made a UT after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two UTs on August 5, 2019. The other UT is Jammu and Kashmir.
On that day five years ago, the Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state, was also abrogated. Being a UT, Ladakh comes under the direct administrative control of the union home ministry.
PM Modi congratulated the people of Ladakh and said, "Creation of five new districts in Ladakh 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."
The move from the Centre has been welcomed by Ladakh MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who said the decision will pave the way for the overall development of the Ladakh region.