Hapur is Uttar Pradesh's 74th district

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Wednesday announced in Hapur that erstwhile Hapur tehsil will become the state's 74th district.

Carved out of the Ghaziabad district, the new district has been named Panchsheel Nagar.

"Smaller administrative units were the dream of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. For the speedy development of the area and state, small administrative units are feasible," Mayawati said.

The new district, spread over 660 square km, will have a population of 1,422,000.

The new district will comprise three tehsils - Garh Mukteshwar, Hapur and Dhaulana, which has been newly created.

"Dhaulana tehsil would contain 91 villages," added the chief minister.

Mayawati said she wanted Uttar Pradesh to be trifurcated into Poorvanchal, Central Uttar Pradesh and Western Uttar Pradesh but the central government did not bring a bill on the issue in parliament.

She said her Bahujan Samaj Party wanted a bench of the Allahabad High Court in western Uttar Pradesh but the central government has not initiated steps to make it possible.

The chief minister said her government favoured inclusion of jats in the OBC list.