The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at Congress for planning to create new districts, saying that the government is floating a “political gimmick” to divert public attention. However, Himachal governor Kavinder Gupta supported the state government’s move, saying, “the creation of smaller administrative units can often prove beneficial for the public”.
Himachal Pradesh government in its efforts to create new districts in the state had issued notification to constitute a four-member commission headed by retired high court judge Dharam Chand Chaudhary. Approved by the cabinet in May, the decision reopens a politically sensitive issue as the state prepares for assembly elections in December 2027.
This marks the first major administrative reorganisation exercise in the state in 54 years. The last reorganisation occurred on September 1, 1972, when three new districts were carved out of Kangra, increasing the total from nine to 12.
Sharing his views on the issue, Gupta said that the government approaches such matters “with careful consideration, and the underlying reasons for this move will become clear in due course”.
The governor, speaking on sidelines of the concluding day of the diamond jubilee celebrations at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla, on Thursday said, “Given the growing population, the creation of smaller administrative units can often prove beneficial for the public, making it easier for them to get their work done. However, the final decision the state government will take regarding the creation of new districts remains to be seen.”
{{/usCountry}}The governor, speaking on sidelines of the concluding day of the diamond jubilee celebrations at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla, on Thursday said, “Given the growing population, the creation of smaller administrative units can often prove beneficial for the public, making it easier for them to get their work done. However, the final decision the state government will take regarding the creation of new districts remains to be seen.”
{{/usCountry}}BJP lashes out at Congress
Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Jai Ram Thakur, launched a scathing attack on the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led state government and its style of functioning. Thakur said, “In an attempt to conceal its failures to fulfill its poll guarantees, the government is now staging a charade of new guarantees and announcements just ahead of the upcoming elections.”
Questioning the government’s intent regarding the creation of new districts, he said that if the state government had genuinely wished to establish new administrative districts for the public good, it ought to have undertaken this task at the very outset of its five-year tenure.
BJP leader and Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma also criticised the Congress government over discussions to create new districts. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Hamir Sangam, a cultural programme organised by the Hamirpur Students Association at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Sharma questioned the government’s intentions, financial priorities and administrative approach.
Sharma described the move as a “political gimmick intended to divert public attention” from pressing issues affecting Himachal Pradesh. Taking a sarcastic dig at the government, he remarked, “Ghar Mein Nahin Daane, Amma Chali Bhunane” — an expression describing a situation where someone plans extravagant activities despite lacking the resources to meet basic needs.
Sharma said that the present financial condition of Himachal Pradesh demanded serious consideration before undertaking any exercise involving the creation of additional administrative units. He questioned the wisdom of proposing new districts when the government was already struggling to manage its existing financial commitments and provide essential public services.
He said that the need of the hour was not the creation of new districts but the improvement of administrative efficiency through modern technology, digital governance and smarter working systems.
“The government has found a way to keep the people engaged in this debate for the next six months. Meanwhile, the real issues confronting Himachal Pradesh will remain unresolved,” Sharma said.