Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced in the Assembly the creation of as many as 19 new districts and three divisions, including creation of new districts out of state capital Jaipur.
Reacting to the announcement, former CM Vasundhara Raje said, “This is an attempt to fulfil personal political self-interests. Several important facts have been overlooked in the process of creating new districts. And, so rather than facilitating things, people will have to face administrative difficulties due to creation of these new districts.”
Jaipur will now be divided into four smaller districts: Jaipur North, Jaipur South, and Dudu. Kotputli, which is also a part of Jaipur, will be merged with Behror in Alwar to create another district.
CM’s hometown Jodhpur will also be divided into Jodhpur East, Jodhpur West and Phalodi. Other new districts, with the existing district they are in, will be Anupgarh (Ganganagar), Balotra (Barmer), Beawar (Ajmer), Deeg (Bharatpur), Deedwana – Kuchaman (Nagaur), Gangapur City (Sawai Madhopur), Kekri (Ajmer), Khairtal (Alwar), Neem ka Thana (Sikar), Salumber (Udaipur), Sanchore (Jalore), and Shahpura (Bhilwara). Additionally, the three new divisions will be Banswara, Pali and Sikar.
Jaipur and Jodhpur will be removed from the figure of 33 following their break up into smaller districts. With this the total number of districts in the state will become 50.
Gehlot said, “From a geographical point of view, Rajasthan is the largest state and due to this, there are several districts where the headquarter is over a hundred km away from its farthest point. The common man has to face difficulties. Moreover, with an excessive population in some districts, the administration has difficulty in reaching every family,” he said.
