Centre creates 5 new districts in Ladakh

The Centre on Monday decided to create five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The five districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang.

Making the announcement on a social media post on X, Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is committed to creating abundant opportunities for the people of Ladakh.

“In pursuit of PM Shri @narendramodi 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.

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

In August 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, polling in Jammu and Kashmir will occur in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting scheduled for October 4.

These will be the first elections held in the region since the abrogation of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years, as the last assembly election was held in 2014.

The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.