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Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has strongly criticized the BJP government's decision to annul nine newly created districts, describing it as an act of political revenge and shortsightedness.
In a statement shared on X, Gehlot outlined the rationale behind the formation of these districts during his government, emphasizing their positive impact on governance and administrative efficiency. "The decision of the BJP government to cancel 9 of the new districts created by our government is an example of imprudence and mere political vendetta," Gehlot wrote. He explained that a committee, chaired by senior administrative officer Ramlubhaya, was formed on March 21, 2022, to reorganize districts. The committee's findings, based on reports from multiple districts, led to the decision to create new administrative units. Gehlot pointed out that after the separation of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan became the largest state in the country, yet its administrative units remained unbalanced compared to other states. He highlighted that Rajasthan's districts had an average population of 35.42 lakh and an area of 12,147 square kilometers before the reorganization. "After the formation of new districts, the average population per district was reduced to 15.35 lakh, and the area to 5,268 square kilometers," he said. Gehlot defended the creation of smaller districts, stating that such changes improve governance, make service delivery more efficient, and allow for quicker resolution of public grievances. "Due to the smaller population and area of the district, the reach of the administration improves and better delivery of facilities and schemes is ensured. Due to the smaller administrative unit, the public's complaints are also resolved quickly," he wrote. Gehlot also criticized the BJP's justification that smaller districts should have at least three legislative assembly constituencies, referencing the example of Pratapgarh, which still has only two constituencies, despite BJP's delimitation in 2007. Furthermore, Gehlot rejected the BJP's argument regarding the size of districts, pointing to examples from Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab, where districts with smaller populations are functioning effectively. "The BJP government's decision to cancel the districts citing their small size is also unfair. The size of a district depends on its geographical conditions. Our neighbouring states have districts with low population like Dang (2 lakh 29 thousand), Porbandar (5 lakh 85 thousand) and Narmada (5 lakh 91 thousand) in Gujarat, Panchkula (5 lakh 59 thousand) and Charkhi Dadri (about 5 lakh 1 thousand) in Haryana, Malerkotla (about 4 lakh 30 thousand), Barnala (5 lakh 96 thousand) and Fatehgarh Sahib (6 lakh) in Punjab," he wrote. Gehlot also noted that his government had already appointed district-level officers, allocated budgets, and planned resources for each district, underscoring that the annulment by the BJP was unnecessary and politically motivated. (ANI)
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