Amit Shah Announces Five New Districts in Ladakh, Fulfilling Local Demands

Amit Shah Announces Five New Districts in Ladakh, Fulfilling Local Demands

Amit Shah Announces Five New Districts in Ladakh, Fulfilling Local Demands

Key Highlights:

• Ladakh now has seven districts after the creation of five new ones.
• Local leaders welcome the decision but vow to continue their struggle for statehood.
• The new districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the creation of five new districts in Ladakh, increasing the total number to seven. The decision, which fulfills a long-standing demand of the local population, was met with widespread approval.

The new districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang. Shah stated that this move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and prosperous Ladakh, bringing governance closer to the people.

Leh and Kargil were previously the only districts in Ladakh, a union territory carved out of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. With an area of 86,904 square kilometers, Ladakh is strategically important, sharing borders with China and Pakistan.

The creation of these new districts aims to improve governance and deliver services more effectively to remote areas.

Despite the positive reception, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been advocating for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh, vowed to continue their peaceful struggle.

Sonam Wangchuk, a member of the LAB, acknowledged the government’s efforts but emphasized the need for autonomous district councils in the new districts.

Local leaders, including former BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and Congress’ Ladakh President Nawang Rigzin Jora, welcomed the decision but stressed the ongoing need for greater autonomy and protection of Ladakh’s unique cultural identity.

The LAB and KDA have planned a foot march from Leh to Delhi on September 1 to press for their demands.

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