Ladakh gets Sankoo as its eighth district

A view of Sankoo. File Photo: https://kargil.nic.in/ Ladakh’s Sankoo, home to around 40,548 people, became the eighth district of the region on Friday (October 16, 2026).Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena made the announcement of the new district, just seven months after the region was granted five new districts this year, including Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass.“In line with the “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” vision of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, and Honourable Home Minister Amit Shah ji, I am pleased to announce the creation of Sankoo District.​This is a culmination of the long-standing aspiration of the people of the area,” said Mr. SaxenaMr. Saxena said this move has been made possible through the “constructive and positive approach of Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman”, under the visionary leadership of Chief Patron Syed Mohammad Razvi (Aga Migi Outh) and Chairman Sheikh Sadiq Balaghi and Dr. Jaffar Akhoon, Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Kargil and Haneefa Jan, Member Parliament, Ladakh, and Tashi Gyalston, ex-CEC, Leh.In line with the "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" vision of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji and Hon'ble HM Shri @AmitShah ji, I am pleased to announce the creation of Sankoo District! ​This is a culmination of the long standing aspiration of the people of the area and has been made possible through the constructive and positive approach of Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman, under the visionary leadership of Chief Patron Syed Mohammad Razvi (Aga Migi Outh) and Chairman Sheikh Sadiq Balaghi and Dr. Jaffar Akhoon, CEC, Kargil and Shri. Haneefa Jan, Hon'ble MP, Ladakh and Sh. Tashi Gyalston, Ex CEC, Leh ​Heartiest congratulations to everyone who worked towards this goal. @tashi_gyalson @drajaffer— LG Ladakh (@lg_ladakh) October 16, 2026Ladakh, which was carved out as a Union Territory (UT) from the Kashmir province in 2019, comprised two districts of Leh and Kargil. However, this year, the L-G administration set up five new districts. There is a total of eight districts for the region with around 3.5 lakh population.The move comes at a time when the Centre has engaged representatives of the civil society groups of the region to discuss the demands of Statehood and Sixth Schedule. A fresh round of talks was held on October 15 and another round is likely to be held on October 22 in New Delhi. Published - October 16, 2026 12:06 pm IST