On 17th March 2024, the Rajasthan Congress Government, led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, announced 19 new districts and three new divisions in the state. This announcement received mixed reactions from the public and the elected representatives. The CM says that this decision has come to light for better maintenance of law and order and the need to provide effective administration. It also helps the people in need who live far away from the divisional headquarters.
Sikar, Banswara and Pali were added to a list of 7 administrative divisions, making Rajasthan with 10. The new districts added as of Friday are Anoopgarh, Balotra, Beawar, Kekri, Deeg, Deedwana-Kuchaman, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur North, Jaipur South, Jodhpur East, Jodhpur West, Kotputli-Behror, Khertal, Neem Ka Thana, Phalodi, Salumber, Sanchore and Shahpura.
The people of the Beawar district celebrated and thanked the CM for acknowledging their 50-year-old demand. Shyam Sundar Sadnani, a 62-year-old renowned numismatist living in Pali Bazaar, Beawar, recalls his participation in the demand fasts, signature campaigns, protests and demonstrations being the tip of the iceberg. Overjoyed, he talks about the first time he heard about this demand in 1969-70 when he was a young kid. Shyam Ji feels pride over Beawar becoming an independent district, something he saw his father and uncles protest for.
While there were celebrations in a few areas, the residents of Barmar were disappointed as it was not accepted to be a divisional quarter. BJP and Congress representatives of the tribal regions of Banswara took the credit for it becoming a new divisional quarter and Salumber, now an independent district, even though the Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje accused Mr Gehlot of fulfilling “political ends” with this decision. She pointed out that this step could increase the administrative challenges to the state budget and economic structure. Ms Raje also claimed that important decisions and issues were overlooked in announcing the new districts. Seeing Tijara not being made a district, MLA Sandeep Yadav resigned as a member of the Rajasthan Sub-Region Infrastructure Development Board (RSRIDB).
The deputy leader of the opposition, Rajendra Rathore, questioned the government based on the decision when the CM himself stated that there was a delay in receiving the Ram Lubhaya Committee’s Report, tasked with creating new districts. Less than a week ago, Ashok Gehlot had extended the tenure of the Ram Lubhaya Committee, and hence the announcement of the new sections came as a surprise without having the proper reports to do the same.
This decision was most certainly a much-awaited move on Congress’ part but has been bought under scrutiny by the opposition claiming suspicious timing, less than a year close to the assembly elections. The unease in the opposition could also be a bad reaction to Gehlot’s announcement, which is a masterstroke in a way that he has struck a regional and a political balance in forming new districts.
It would be interesting to see how the Congress Government in Rajasthan deals with the new communities and administrative divisional headquarters. Will it improve the deeper working? Or create more chaos for the state?
