PMK pushes for smaller districts for growth, cites Telangana

Calling Telangana a "fast progressing" state, the Pattali Makkal Katchi Tuesday said smaller districts were one of the reasons for it and urged the Tamil Nadu government to bifurcate existing districts to ensure easy governance.

PMK founder leader S Ramadoss said the districts should be reorganised with each having a maximum of 12 lakh population for administrative convenience.

"If bifurcation of the united Andhra Pradesh is the first reason for the fast progress of Telangana, division of districts is the second main reason," he said in a statement.

In 2016, two years after carving out of the new state, Telangana government created 21 new districts, taking the total number to 31.

Ramadoss said with larger districts administration and implementation of development schemes had become a cumbersome process while smaller districts were easy to govern.

"By bifurcating larger districts of Tamil Nadu, it is possible to see some development. In TN, a district has 22 lakh people. In districts like Vellore distance between one end to the other end is around 200 km. Northern districts are larger and its population is bigger," he said.

He urged the government to implement its announcement on creation of the newly created district Kallakurichi.

The state presently has 33 districts.