The Central govt has announced the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. These new districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of Ladakh on this decision, stating that these new districts would help bring government services and opportunities closer to the residents. He shared a post on the social media platform X highlighting the importance of the new districts in improving governance and prosperity in the region.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also announced the decision on X, emphasizing that this move aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a prosperous Ladakh. He mentioned that the new districts would strengthen governance and ensure that benefits reach every corner of the Union Territory. Shah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating more opportunities for the people of Ladakh.
This development follows the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, which ended the special status of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided the region into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Meanwhile, elections in Jammu and Kashmir are set to take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4. These elections will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370 and the first in the region in a decade, as the last assembly elections were held in 2014. The previous coalition government of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell apart in June 2018, prompting the need for fresh elections.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court directed the Central Government to complete the election process in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024.
(With inputs from agencies)