Kargil, Oct 16: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has announced the creation of Sankoo as a new district, marking a significant administrative development for the people of the Kargil region and advancing a long-standing demand for greater administrative accessibility.
The announcement was made by the LG at a public rally at Sankoo. The LG said the decision was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.
Saxena credited the constructive efforts of Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman, under the leadership of Chief Patron Syed Mohammad Razvi (Aga Migi Outh) and Chairman Sheikh Sadiq Balaghi, along with Dr Jaffer Akhoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Member of Parliament Mohammad Haneefa Jan and former CEC Tashi Gyalson.
Congratulating those who had worked towards the demand, the Lieutenant Governor described the announcement as the culmination of the long-standing aspirations of the people of the area.
Sankoo’s elevation has been a persistent demand among local representatives and residents, who have argued that the area’s population, geographical spread and distance from administrative headquarters warrant a separate district to improve access to government services and strengthen local administration.
In March this year, a delegation from Kargil had raised the demand for the creation of Sankoo and Shakar-Chiktan districts during a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking their inclusion in the proposed administrative reorganisation of Ladakh.
Ladakh had earlier announced five new districts—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass—in April 2026, taking the number of districts from two to seven. Sankoo’s creation would represent the sixth new district announced in the reorganisation and, once formally notified and operationalised, would take Ladakh’s total to eight districts. [KNT]
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