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After creating over three dozen new 'tehsils' since coming to power in March 2012, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has of late shown a marked penchant for creating these new administrative/revenue geographies.
In the last few days, Yadav has created 7 new tehsils with 3-4 more in the offing, according to sources. Now, UP has a total of 75 districts and 332 tehsils.
Tehsils are the smallest administrative/revenue division in a revenue district. Tehsils in turn consist of blocks, which taper down to village panchayats and hamlets.
The creation of new districts and tehsils is the prerogative of the respective state government and the Centre does not have a direct say in the process.
The demand for new tehsils basically emerge from the local populace for getting easier access to the various government bodies, such as revenue department, police etc.
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While, smaller tehsils are fundamentally acknowledged for faster dispensation of governance, such decisions are on several occasions known to be politically motivated with eyes on impending elections.
With 2017 elections less than two years away, the ruling Samajwadi Party is making no stones unturned to address the aspirations of the people.
In contrast, former chief minister Mayawati was known for creating new districts and in her previous stints had created about 16 new districts in UP. In the last two decades, about 20 new districts have been created in the state under different regimes.
However, creation of new district and tehsils also puts additional financial burden on the state exchequer.
While a new district needs well over Rs 1,000 crore to create the necessary infrastructure of governance, a new tehsil needs Rs 100-200 crore.
The revenue department moots the creation of a new district/tehsils after taking the views of the finance department. Ultimately, the state cabinet is authorised to put its seal of approval before it takes the final shape, former UP chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta told Business Standard.
"There are several factors that spur the demand for new tehsils, including better administration at lower level. Besides, the land and property prices also increase and the aspiring politicians get new vistas for growth," political commentator and Lucknow University faculty Sudhir Panwar said.
He, however, sounded caution at the tendency of creating new administrative/revenue divisions, especially districts.
"Mayawati had created several new districts in her previous regime, but the vital infrastructure is still missing in some of them," he underlined.
