Ladakh L-G approves panel for operationalisation of new districts

Following the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh last month, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the constitution of a UT-level committee to examine and recommend measures for the effective operationalisation of the new districts.

An official statement said the committee will recommend steps for establishing and operationalising key district-level offices in the newly created districts and examine administrative, financial and logistical issues arising from the reorganisation.

The committee was constituted following the approval granted by the Lieutenant Governor on April 27 for the notification of five new districts in Ladakh.

According to the statement, the committee has been tasked with examining and recommending measures for operationalising the districts, including the reorganisation and rationalisation of subdivisions, tehsils, niabats, girdawar/qanungo circles and patwar halqas in conformity with the newly notified territorial limits.

The exercise is aimed at ensuring a smooth administrative transition and establishing a robust governance framework in the newly created districts.

“The creation of new districts is aimed at decentralising governance and ensuring that administrative services reach the doorsteps of people, especially those living in remote and far-flung areas,” Saxena said.

He added that the operationalisation of the districts must be carried out in a structured, transparent and time-bound manner to ensure that the benefits of the new administrative framework reach the public effectively.

“The UT Administration is committed to building a responsive, efficient and people-centric governance system in Ladakh,” he said.

The L-G 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 the creation, redeployment and upgradation of posts for the effective functioning of the new districts, including revenue, development and other key administrative cadres.

The UT-level committee will be headed by the Divisional Commissioner and 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 be members of the committee.