Rajasthan Minister Patel defends cabinet decision to annul new districts

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], December 29 (ANI): Rajasthan Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Jogaram Patel, speaking after the state cabinet meeting on Saturday, defended the government's decision to annul the formation of nine newly created districts.
Patel slammed the previous administration for its hasty district reorganization, claiming that it was politically motivated and not properly analysed in terms of demography and available resources.
"The previous (state) government, without analysing the demography and resources, announced the district formations with the intent of gaining political benefits," Patel said.
He further explained that, after assessing the population, tehsils, and available resources, the newly formed districts were found to be unsuitable. As a result, the state government has decided to dissolve these districts.
"Considering the population, tehsils, and available resources, these districts were not found to be appropriate and were dissolved. Nine districts have been dropped," Patel added, justifying the cabinet's decision.
Meanwhile, Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has strongly criticized the BJP government's decision to annul the 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 nine 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. (ANI)