Ladakh got its eighth district on Friday as Sankoo was carved out of Kargil, ending a long wait for residents who had been demanding a separate district. Sankoo will also have its own hill council, though elections to it will be held later.
Sankoo was not among the five new districts announced earlier this year, despite demands from local organisations and political representatives.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the decision during a visit to Sankoo, where a large gathering celebrated the move. Sankoo was not among the five new districts announced earlier this year, despite demands from local organisations and political representatives. The Lieutenant Governor also announced five new tehsils across Ladakh- Aryan Valley in Sham, Sodh in Kargil, Phey in Zanskar, Thasgam in Drass and Himya in Changthang.
In a separate move, the administration has notified the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) for Sankoo, giving the new district its own hill council. The demand for district status for Sankoo had been pending for years. In March, a delegation led by Kargil Hill Council Chief Executive Councillor Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon and Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“The creation of Sankoo district fulfils a long-standing aspiration of the people of the area,” Saxena said. He also said officials would be appointed soon to make the new district administration functional.
