After nine years, state may get its 23rd district on November 1

Nearly nine years after Charkhi Dadri became Haryana’s 22nd district, the state may soon get its 23rd district, likely to be announced on Haryana Day, November 1. Among the 10 contenders under consideration, Hansi, Gohana and Dabwali have emerged as the front-runners for district status under the Nayab Singh Saini Government.

Why the new district

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Long-pending political demand from residents of the region.

Census directive to freeze administrative boundaries by December 31, 2025.

Need for improved governance and decentralised administration — the last district was created on November 1, 2016.

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The move has gained urgency following a circular from the Directorate of Census Operations, Haryana, which mandates the freezing of administrative boundaries of all districts and subdivisions by December 31, 2025, ahead of the Census-2027.

“An important preparatory work in connection with the Census-2027 is to collect and compile the details of all jurisdictional changes that have occurred so far after the Census-2011 and that will occur hereafter till the freezing of the boundaries of administrative units for Census-2027, i.e. up to December 31, 2025,” stated a circular issued by Lalit Jain, Director, Directorate of Census Operations.

Creation of new districts and changes in jurisdiction of existing ones form a crucial part of this preparatory process, the circular added.

Decision soon after CM’s nod

Sources said the BJP government is expected to expedite the process in light of the Census directive.

“The decision to name the new district would be announced after taking into account various administrative and political repercussions of the move, following a nod from Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini,” sources told ‘The Tribune’.

A recent meeting of the Reorganisation Committee, headed by Development and Panchayat Minister Krishan Lal Panwar, examined 73 proposals, including 10 for new districts, 14 for subdivisions, four for tehsils and 27 for sub-tehsils.

10 contenders for district status

The proposals for new districts include Assandh, Naraingarh, Manesar, Pehowa, Barwala, Safidon, Pataudi, Dabwali, Hansi and Gohana.

As per official criteria, a new district should have 125 to 200 villages, a population of at least four lakh, a minimum area of 80,000 hectares and be 25 to 40 km from the existing district headquarters.

Political context

Each of the front-runner regions holds political significance. Gohana, in Sonepat district, is represented by the state’s Heritage, Tourism, Cooperation and Jails Minister. Hansi, in Hisar district, is represented by BJP MLA Vinod Bhayana, while Dabwali, in Sirsa district, is represented by Aditya Devilal of the INLD in the Haryana Assembly.