Sankoo has become Ladakh’s eighth district after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced its creation on October 16, along with five new tehsils intended to bring government services closer to residents in remote parts of the Union Territory.
Carved out of Kargil district, Sankoo will comprise the tehsils of GM Pore, TSG and Taisuru. The administration described the decision as a response to a long-standing demand from residents and said it would improve administrative coordination, access to government services and public participation in governance.
“ It reflects the administration’s continued efforts to make governance more accessible and responsive to the needs of people across Ladakh,” a government spokesperson said.
The announcement takes Ladakh’s district count from seven to eight. Until the recent reorganisation, the Union Territory had only two districts — Leh and Kargil. The administration had announced five additional districts less than six months ago: Changthang, Drass, Nubra, Sham and Zanskar.
Saxena made the announcement during a visit to Sankoo, where a large gathering was held to mark the creation of the new district. Residents expressed gratitude to the Central Government and the Lieutenant Governor for meeting their demand for a separate administrative unit.
The Lieutenant Governor said the creation of Sankoo was intended to reduce the distance between citizens and administrative institutions. “The creation of Sankoo district fulfils a long-standing aspiration of the people of the area and marks another important step towards bringing administration closer to citizens,” he said.
“Our objective is to ensure that people in every part of Ladakh can access government services more easily and that the benefits of development reach every village and household,” Saxena added.
The administration also announced five new tehsils: Aryan Valley in Sham district, Sodh in Kargil, Phey in Zanskar, Thasgam in Drass and Hemya in Changthang. These additions will take the total number of tehsils in Ladakh to 37.
The new tehsils are part of a wider administrative reorganisation. On July 12, the Lieutenant Governor had announced the creation of 17 new tehsils. The government said the latest additions would further extend the reach of administrative institutions and improve access to essential public services for residents of far-flung areas.
The administration has said the reorganisation is aimed at operationalising the newly created districts, improving administrative efficiency and making governance more responsive, inclusive and citizen-centric. The next stage will involve establishing the administrative arrangements required for Sankoo and the new tehsils to function as local service units.
