Examiner Bureau | Leh:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Ladakh has emerged as a model of rapid transformation since its bifurcation from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, citing sweeping changes across political, social and economic sectors.
Shah stated that the region has remained a key focus of the Narendra Modi-led government’s development agenda. He added that Ladakh’s long-standing demand for Union Territory status stemmed from a lack of development, and the decision has since brought visible improvements.
“Ladakh had an old demand to be made a Union territory due to lack of development. I want to highlight what has been achieved since 2019,” he said.
His remarks come amid renewed demands by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance for the resumption of dialogue with the Centre over statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
Highlighting administrative expansion, Shah said Ladakh now has seven districts and 193 panchayats, with five new districts—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass—created and formally notified. He also noted that local languages such as Bhoti, Purgi and Urdu have been given administrative recognition alongside Hindi and English.
On infrastructure, Shah said road length in the region has increased from about 1,799 km before 2019 to over 4,000 km, while the number of bridges has risen from 19 to 72. Mobile towers have nearly doubled from 344 to 653, and helipads have increased from seven to 41. Snow-clearing machines, crucial for maintaining connectivity, have also risen significantly.
The Home Minister highlighted improvements in connectivity, stating that key routes such as the Zoji La Pass and the Kargil-Leh road are now witnessing significantly fewer days of closure due to enhanced infrastructure. He added that major projects, including the Zoji La tunnel, Shinkun La tunnel and a new civil airport, are underway.
In the power sector, grid infrastructure and distribution capacity have expanded substantially, while VSAT connectivity has been extended to all panchayats.
Shah also outlined progress in the education sector, including the establishment of Sindhu Central University, development of ICT labs, smart classrooms, science laboratories and Atal Tinkering Labs. He claimed that Ladakh achieved full literacy in 2024.
He further said that nearly 98 per cent of households have been provided tap water connections under the Har Ghar Jal scheme, alongside notable progress in agriculture and horticulture.
Highlighting economic growth, Shah said Ladakh’s budget has increased from around ₹1,000 crore before 2019 to ₹6,000 crore at present. He also announced the formation of the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation to boost industrial growth and promote self-reliance in the border region.
Shah asserted that the scale of development reflects the Centre’s sustained focus on Ladakh and the broader vision of the Prime Minister to transform the Union Territory into a key strategic and economic hub.
