Rajasthan BJP govt. dissolves 9 districts fashioned below Congress regime

In a politically contested transfer, the Bharatiya Janata Celebration authorities in Rajasthan on Saturday (December 28, 2024) dissolved 9 of the 17 districts in addition to three divisions created in 2023 through the earlier Congress regime. The choice was taken at a State Cupboard assembly presided over by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma right here.

The desert State will now have a complete of 41 districts and 7 divisions. The three divisions that had been annulled are Pali, Sikar and Banswara. The State authorities retained eight districts in view of “administrative necessity”.

It additionally rejected the formation of three new districts (along with the 17) forward of the 2023 Meeting election, as no Gazette notification was issued for them.

“The brand new districts and divisions had been created with an eye fixed on political achieve… The Congress authorities ignored key components akin to monetary sources, inhabitants density, geographical space and administrative necessities. A number of districts didn’t even have six tehsils,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel stated after the Cupboard assembly.

‘Undemocratic transfer’

The Opposition Congress condemned the choice, saying it was an act of “imprudence and political vendetta”. Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra stated the get together would launch a large agitation from January 1, after the conclusion of the week-long State mourning [following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh], with the demand for restoration of recent districts. He described the choice as anti-people and undemocratic.

The districts which were abolished are Dudu, Kekri, Shahpura, Neem Ka Thana, Gangapur Metropolis, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Anupgarh and Sanchore. The districts which were retained are Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Phalodi and Salumbar.

Mr. Patel stated the workplace buildings, administrative infrastructure and officers’ posts had been but to be created within the new districts regardless of the lapse of greater than a 12 months. “Makes an attempt to determine 18 departmental posts in these districts have turned out be extraordinarily burdensome… It’s evident that the Congress needed to reap political advantages,” he stated.

The Minister affirmed that the choice was based mostly on the suggestions of a high-level committee headed by former civil servant Lalit Ok. Panwar, which had concluded that a lot of the new districts weren’t viable. Previous to this, the State authorities had appointed a Cupboard Sub-Committee in June this 12 months with the mandate to look at the standing of new districts and divisions within the “present perspective”.

Although Collectors and Superintendents of Police had been appointed within the newly created districts, they had been functioning with out correct workplace buildings and with restricted sources, whereas there have been public protests and disputes amongst a number of districts about their boundaries and jurisdiction. Mr. Patel stated all of those components had been taken into consideration whereas abolishing 9 districts.

Following the Congress authorities’s resolution, the individuals in a number of components of the State had resorted to bandhs and protests for a number of days in opposition to both the proposed inclusion of sure areas or for ignoring the demand for new districts. The BJP, then the principal Opposition get together, had questioned the creation of new districts and termed it a waste of sources.

Whereas the demand for brand new districts was raised at about 50 locations in 24 districts over the last decade, a lot of the new districts had been created in areas the place the Congress had registered victory within the 2018 Meeting election.

Whereas Sikar, the house district of PCC chief Dotasra, was one of many three new divisions, just one district, Salumbar, was created in southern Rajasthan’s Mewar area, which is a stronghold of the BJP. The State authorities has retained Salumbar district.

Taking exception to the BJP authorities’s transfer, senior Congress chief and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated his authorities had appointed all officers and sanctioned funds for the brand new districts. “After the separation of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan turned the biggest State, however the administrative models weren’t reorganised in that proportion. Regardless of being smaller than Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh has 53 districts,” he stated.

In the meantime, no resolution was taken on the Cupboard assembly on the cancellation of the police sub-inspector recruitment examination of 2021, marred by allegations of paper leak and irregularities. There had been persistent demand from many quarters for cancelling it. Mr. Patel stated the matter was not on the agenda, because it was sub judice following the Excessive Court docket’s order to keep up establishment on the recruitment course of.