Following the historic creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh last month, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on May 11 approved the constitution of a UT-Level Committee to examine and recommend measures for the effective and efficient operationalisation of the newly created districts.

The Committee will recommend measures for the establishment and functioning of key district-level offices in the new districts and examine any consequential administrative, financial and logistical issues arising from the creation of the five districts.

The constitution of the Committee follows the approval granted by Lieutenant Governor Saxena for the notification of five new districts in Ladakh on April 27. The development marks a significant step towards strengthening grassroots governance and ensuring efficient administrative functioning in the newly constituted districts of Changthang, Nubra, Sham, Zanskar and Drass.

The Committee has been entrusted with the responsibility of examining and recommending measures for operationalisation of the newly created districts, including the reorganisation and rationalisation of the jurisdiction of subdivisions, tehsils, niabats, girdawar/qanungo circles and patwar halqas in conformity with the notified territorial limits. The exercise is aimed at ensuring a smooth administrative transition and establishing a robust governance framework in the new districts.

“The creation of the new districts is aimed at decentralising governance and ensuring that administrative services reach the doorsteps of the people, particularly those living in remote and far-flung areas. It is, therefore, crucial that the operationalisation of these districts is carried out in a structured, transparent and time-bound manner so that the benefits of the new administrative framework reach the masses effectively and efficiently. The UT

Administration is committed to building a responsive, efficient and people-centric governance system in Ladakh,” Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena stated.

The Lieutenant Governor has also directed the Committee to recommend the distribution and redeployment of staff, records, assets, infrastructure and other resources between the existing and newly created districts. In addition, the Committee will assess the requirement for creation, redeployment and upgradation of posts for the effective functioning of the new districts, including revenue, development and other essential administrative cadres.

The UT-Level Committee will be headed by the Divisional Commissioner/Secretary, Revenue Department, as Chairperson. The Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, will serve as Member-Convenor, while the Secretary, General Administration Department, and the Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil will serve as members.

The move is expected to significantly improve administrative outreach, strengthen service delivery mechanisms, facilitate faster grievance redressal and ensure more focused developmental planning in remote and underserved areas of Ladakh.