Demand for new districts since 2009 has triggered a domino effect and there seems no end to it. Arunachal now has 21 districts and Kamle and Lepa Rada have been given the go-head while new ones are cropping up.

Generally, new districts are created for administrative convenience or ease of administration so that the distance between the district headquarters and remote areas are shortened, which, in turn, helps with better implementation and monitoring of government schemes and programmes and also maintaining law and order in remote areas. Districts can be also split or created based on their population size or various socio-cultural factors. 

However, going by the past and present statistics, announcing new districts and its headquarters might not have desired impact on administration. District creations have huge bearing on the financial position of the state. The state exchequer doesn’t have enough resources to fund infrastructure and secondly, the government officials stay away from place of postings for want of facilities; thus rendering it futile.

Ditto is the situation for the newly announced ADC and EAC headquarters where officers are hardly to be seen in the office. Rather, the commoners have to trudge to the same old headquarters and look out for their private accommodations which are much harder tasks.

 “Administration at door-step” is turning out to be a mirage.

 The demands per se are not a problem but the dominant narrative that belies the merit is worrisome.

What’s happening is that, more than the administrative necessity such demands are more of political compulsion in nature and have sub-texts of muscle flexing. Primarily, the merit of the cases is reduced to back burner and is never debated. 

This is where one tends to get worried about the merit of district creation.

CM Khandu on Monday categorically stated that not all 60 constituencies can have districts of their own and random decisions for district creation made under public pressure cannot continue. His statement is worthwhile given the fact that in his little over a year as CM, he has okayed at least three districts so far.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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