Formation of 5 new districts in Ladakh

Reference

Home Minister Amit Shah has announced the creation of 5 new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Earlier, the Union Territory of Ladakh had only two districts - 'Leh' and 'Kargil'. With the 5 new districts, Ladakh will now have 7 districts.

Formation of new districts

• According to the notification of Ministry of Home Affairs, following are the 5 new districts
  • Zanskar                                                                
  • Drass
  • Sham
  • Nubra
  • Changthang
• Ladakh is a very large union territory in terms of area. It is one of the least populated regions of India.

Process for formation of new districts

• Along with giving 'in-principle approval' for the formation of 5 new districts, the Home Ministry has directed the Ladakh administration to constitute a committee to assess various aspects related to the formation of new districts, such as headquarters, boundaries, structure, creation of posts and any other aspect related to the formation of districts.
• The Union Home Ministry has asked the Ladakh administration to submit its report within three months.
• After receiving the report of the committee, Ladakh will send the final proposal regarding the creation of new districts on the basis of this report to the Union Home Ministry for further action.
• After the removal of Article 370 in the year 2019, Ladakh was granted the status of a Union Territory and it came under the direct administrative control of the Union Home Ministry.

Need for formation of new districts in Ladakh

• Due to the extremely difficult and inaccessible terrain, the present district administration was facing many difficulties in reaching the grassroots level.
• After the formation of these districts, now all the public welfare schemes of the Central Government and Ladakh Administration will be able to reach the people easily.

Developmental schemes in Ladakh

• Prime Minister Modi had announced the Prime Minister's Development Package for the overall development of the then Jammu and Kashmir.
  • It was a development package consisting of 63 projects with a total cost of Rs 80,068 crore.
  • Out of these 63 projects, 9 projects with a total cost of Rs 21,441 crore are exclusively for Ladakh.

Steps for formation of district in Union Territories

In India, new districts in Union Territories are formed through a process. This process may vary slightly depending on the specific Union Territory and the circumstances of the creation of the new district.

Proposal

• The local administration or government of the Union Territory proposes the creation of a new district.
• This is usually done based on factors such as population growth, administrative convenience or geographical features.

Consultation

The proposal is discussed with various stakeholders including local representatives, officials and the public.

Notification

The Union Territory administration issues a notification announcing the objective of creating a new district.

Delimitation

The area is demarcated with the boundaries of the new district being defined.

Approval

The proposal is sent to the Central Government/Ministry of Home Affairs for approval.

Gazette Notification

Once approved, a gazette notification is issued, formally announcing the creation of the new district.

Implementation

The new district becomes functional with the necessary administrative arrangements and infrastructure. This process may vary slightly depending on the specific Union Territory and the circumstances surrounding the creation of the new district.