SRINAGAR: In a major administrative milestone, the Union Territory of Ladakh has formally carved out Sankoo as a new district, marking yet another step in the region’s ongoing decentralisation drive since becoming a separate Union Territory in 2019.
On Friday, the UT’s Revenue Department issued Notification S.O. 284, declaring Sankoo district with Sankoo town as its headquarters. The district comprises four tehsils—Sankoo, GM Pore, TSG and Taisuru—along with the revenue villages listed in the notification. With this, the jurisdiction of Kargil district has been modified to exclude the areas now falling under Sankoo.
The creation of Sankoo district is part of Ladakh’s sweeping administrative restructuring that began early this year. Until then, Ladakh had only two districts—Leh and Kargil. In April, the Administration created five new districts: Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass. This expansion has been followed by the creation of Sankoo, raising the total number of districts in Ladakh to eight. “The reorganisation aims to bring governance closer to remote communities, reduce travel distances for administrative work and improve delivery of public services across Ladakh’s vast and difficult terrain,” an official spokesperson in Leh said.
In a parallel development, the UT Administration has also notified the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Sankoo, under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997. Notification S.O. 285, issued on Friday, states that the Lieutenant Governor has formally constituted LAHDC Sankoo under Section 3(1) of the Act. The new Council will exercise all powers and functions provided under the Act, as amended over the years. Its creation automatically alters the jurisdiction of LAHDC Kargil, which will no longer administer the tehsils and villages now included in Sankoo district. Elections to LAHDC Sankoo will be held after a formal notification under Section 8 of the Act, and the order comes into force immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette, an statement said.
The establishment of Sankoo district and its Hill Council is widely seen as a response to long-standing public demands from residents of the Suru Valley, who have consistently sought administrative accessibility and decentralised governance.
Meanwhile, Ladakh’s administrative restructuring continued with another notification—S.O. 286—redefining tehsils and revenue villages across five districts. Issued under Section 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir Land Revenue Act, 1996, the notification reorganises Aryan Valley Tehsil in Sham district, Sodh Tehsil in Kargil district, Phey Tehsil in Zanskar district, Thasgam Tehsil in Drass district and Himya Tehsil in Changthang district. The order specifies the revenue villages included in each tehsil and their designated headquarters. These villages will cease to be part of their previous tehsils and will now fall under the newly constituted ones once the notification takes effect.
This reorganisation follows earlier administrative expansions, including the creation of 17 new tehsils in July 2026, which increased Ladakh’s total number of tehsils to 37. The UT Administration has repeatedly emphasised that such restructuring is essential for improving governance in a region where geography, climate and distance pose unique challenges.
In another significant decision aimed at strengthening grassroots administration, the powers of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Durbuk, have been delegated to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Durbuk. “This move responds to persistent public demand and is expected to enhance administrative accessibility and ensure timely delivery of services in one of Ladakh’s most remote border regions,” an official said.
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