The Government of Telangana has decided to carve out 17 new districts in the state. This brings the total number of districts to 27 in this 29th state. After a marathon six-hour meeting to discuss the cabinet sub-committee report on the proposed new districts, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao ordered that the new districts should come into existence by Dussera which falls on October 11. The number of revenue divisions will increase from 44 to 74 and mandals will go up from 459 to 533.
The proposed 27 districts are: Adilabad, Manchiryala, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Jagityal, Warangal, Hanamkona, Mahbubabad, Bhoopalpally, Medak, Siddipet, Sangareddy, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Yadadri, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Khammam, Kothagudem, Hyderabad (old), Vikarabad, Shamshabad and Malkajgiri.
However, it is said that the number of staff is not likely to increase as there are instructions to adjust with the existing staff. Zilla Parishads will not be fiddled with at present. But each district will get a new collector, SP and other heads of departments.
The CM wanted the population in accordance with the geographical area. According to him, there is space for new districts in the state as the number of people living in each district is greater than the national average, i.e., 35 lakh compared to 19 lakh. So a committee, headed by chief secretary Rajiv Sharma, was constituted which will recommend the reorganisation of administrative units, including districts, revenue divisions and revenue mandals in the state. According to Rao, new districts were need to get sanctions for more Navodaya and Kendriya Vidyalayas from the central government.
The MLAs will now have to prepare development plans for the new districts. As the new districts are smaller, administration is expected to become easier and delivery of services would be faster. People will not have to travel long distance and their expenses can be reduced.
The creation of new districts is in line with the move by the Central government to increase the number of Assembly constituencies as provided for in the Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation Act 2014.
The rumour mills state that creation of new districts will give KCR a chance to present important posts to all those who recently joined his party in the hope of some profit. There will be more Zilla Parishads and therefore more Zilla Parishad chairmen, more mandals and therefore more mandal presidents. More municipalities and municipal corporations will also come up, increasing the number of important posts.
