The Ladakh administration on Friday announced the formation of Sankoo as the Union Territory’s eighth district, following approval from Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.The move fulfils a long-pending demand of residents in the Sankoo area of Kargil district.Announcing the decision on X, Saxena said it was in keeping with the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.According to the news agency PTI, the administration also recognised the positive contribution of various organisations in Ladakh and congratulated them on the development.Saxena credited the constructive efforts of Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman for helping realise the long-standing aspirations of Sankoo’s residents. He acknowledged the role of the organisation’s chief patron, Syed Mohammad Razvi, also known as Aga Migi Outh, and chairman Sheikh Sadiq Balaghi.He also recognised the contributions of Dr Jaffar Akhoon, Chief Executive Councillor of the Kargil Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council; Haneefa Jan, Member of Parliament from Ladakh; and Tashi Gyalston, former Chief Executive Councillor of Leh.
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Earlier, on April 27, Saxena had approved the issuance of notifications to establish five new districts — Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass. That decision increased Ladakh’s district count from two to seven.Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019 following the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.The region is also known for its hundreds of prehistoric rock art sites, featuring carvings of animals, human figures and symbolic designs that provide insights into thousands of years of human history.