Telangana map redrawn, 21 new districts at one go

Suresh Dharur

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Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, October 11

Telangana, the country’s youngest state, turned a new page today with the creation of 21 new districts aimed at decentralisation of the administration and ensuring speedy development.

With this reorganisation exercise, the total number of districts has gone up to 31. Significantly, Hyderabad district remains unchanged while all others have been split into three to four districts in tune with the local demands.

“It was our election promise. It is a reality from today, the auspicious occasion of Dasehra festival. We are committed to decentralisation of power and ushering in all round development,” Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said after inaugurating interim collectorate building at Siddipet, one of the three districts carved out of his native district Medak. 

Simultaneously, his cabinet colleagues inaugurated 20 other new districts amid much fanfare. Telangana, which has a population of 3.5 crore, was carved out of Andhra Pradesh and it came into existence as India’s 29th state on June 2, 2014.The government has also created 25 new revenue divisions, 125 new mandals, four new police commissionerates, 23 new police subdivisions, 28 new circles and 91 police stations. 

The cabinet had last week ratified the proposal to redraw the state’s boundary. The government had last month issued a preliminary notification for creation of 17 new districts. However, following popular demand from people and political parties, it was agreed to form four more districts. 

A high-power committee, headed by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP K Keshava Rao, received representations from public and recommended formation of four more districts. The ambitious exercise had its share of political hiccups. The opposition parties viewed it as a reflection of political expedience to benefit the ruling party leaders. However, the TRS has justified the decision on grounds of administrative and public convenience.

“There is no rhyme or reason behind the exercise. It was carried out in an irrational and unilateral manner,” state Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy said.