Sankoo Carved Out of Kargil as Ladakh's Eighth District
Ladakh established its eighth administrative district on Friday by carving Sankoo out of Kargil district, fulfilling a long-pending territorial demand from local residents. The territorial administration also issued a notification establishing a dedicated Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for Sankoo under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, with elections to be scheduled at a later date.
Following the creation of 17 new tehsils in July this year, the latest approvals took the total number of tehsils in Ladakh to 37.
In an administrative decision accompanying the creation of Sankoo district, the powers of the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Durbuk were entrusted to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Durbuk to improve governance accessibility.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena credited Anjuman‑e‑Sahib Zaman, led by Syed Mohammad Razvi and Sheikh Sadiq Balaghi, for helping create Sankoo district.
Administrative Boundaries and Headquarters
The newly designated district positions its administrative headquarters at Sankoo and integrates four revenue subdivisions: Sankoo, GM Pore, TSG, and Taisuru. These specific areas will no longer be administered under Kargil district, resulting in a contraction of the existing Kargil Hill Council's geographical jurisdiction.
Background of Regional Demands
The demand for district status for Sankoo had been pending for years before regional and central authorities. Although the Union Territory added five districts in April, Sankoo was omitted from that notification, leaving its status unresolved until the current announcement.
Wider Governance Framework and Next Steps
The territorial administration stated that officials would be appointed shortly to make the Sankoo district administration fully functional. The administrative expansion occurs against the backdrop of ongoing discussions concerning Ladakh's constitutional status since its transition to a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019. Political groups across Leh and Kargil continue to press for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, with central authorities and regional representatives scheduled to hold further talks on October 22.