Gradually
Stabilizing Telangana New Districts
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao
laid the foundation stone for state-of-the-art integrated District Collectorate
Complexes in Siddipet and Rajanna-Siricilla districts on 11th
October 2017 coinciding the one-year celebration of the district
reorganization. His cabinet colleagues simultaneously laid foundation stone in
15 other districts while Assembly Speaker did it in Jayashankar Bhupalpally
district. The massive exercise marked a new era in district administration in
the country’s youngest state.
Details of places and ministers who laid the
foundation stone are: Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari in Jangaon, Deputy
Chief Minister Mehmood Ali in Wanaparthy, Health Minister Laxma Reddy in
Gadwal, Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao in Nagar Kurnool, Forest
Minister Jogu Ramanna in Asifabad, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy in
Mancherial and Peddapally, Animal Husbandry Minister Srinivas Yadav in Medchal,
Excise Minister Padma Rao in Rangareddy, Transport Minister Mahender Reddy in
Vikarabad, Finance Minister Etela Rajender in Jagityal, Agriculture Minister Pocharam
Srinivas Reddy in Kamareddy, Endowments and Housing Minister Indrakaran Reddy
in Nirmal and Speaker Madusudhanachary in Bhupalpally. CM KCR will lay
foundation stone in Suryapet on 12th October 2017.
The integrated Collectorate
Complexes are being constructed at an estimated expenditure of Rs. 1032 Crores
and these are expected to be completed by June 2, 2018 coinciding with that
year’s state formation day. Under the first phase foundation stones are laid
for 17 new districts where land acquisition and tender process have been
completed. 36 departments will be accommodated under one roof in the
Collectorate complex along with District Collector, Joint Collector, their
residences and quarters for revenue officials spread over 25-40 acres.
CM KCR while laying foundation stone in
Siddipet and Siricilla announced a series of sops. He also recalled the 1982 incident,
when he lost election as TDP candidate from Siddipet Assembly Segment, and
submitted a memorandum to the then CM NT Rama Rao asking him to create Siddipet
district. “I dreamt of having Siddipet district and I as CM has signed on it,”
the CM said. An additional Rs 25 crore
for the development of Komati Cheruvu and to make Komuravelli Dev Sagar 165
acres into a beautiful tourism spot; Rs 10 crore for setting up the cottages;
New government offices at Cheriyal, Dubbaka, Husnabad; to make Cheriyal Gram
Panchayat as a Municipality; roads for Madduru Husnabad Thandas and 1000 more
double bed room houses are the announcements made by CM.
CM also announced sanction of Rs 25 Lakh funds
for each for the 211-gram panchayats in Siricilla district; Rs 5 lakh each to
the Hamlets numbering 123 and 50 Thandas; 10 per cent subsidy on yarn and
chemicals to power loom sector; site and sheds to the power loom owners;
training to wives of the power loom workers and Rs 800 Crore support to the
power loom industry.
One year down the line since the
reorganization of districts, in Telangana state, a major achievement of the
whole process is that the districts have shortened in size and the Collectors
are able to visit nook and corners of their districts more frequently. The
reorganization of the districts and increasing their numbers from 10 to 31 done
on 11th October 2016, exactly a year ago, was undoubtedly a major
administrative reform for better administration and development. The main
intention behind the creation of new districts was to take administration to
the door-steps of people.
Besides the 21 New Districts, the
government also created 25 new Revenue Divisions and 125 additional Mandals on
last year Vijayadashami day. There was a change in police administration too
simultaneously by forming five new Police Commissionerates, 23 new Police
Divisions, 28 Circle Offices and 91 Police Stations.
The initial resistance and namesake
protests from certain quarters on the reorganization of districts when
government opened portal eliciting suggestions from public as part of its
notification on August 22, 2016 did not lost long and generally people welcomed
the reorganization on completion. Taking public opinion in to consideration the
Chief Minister conceded formation of districts like Gadwal, Asifabad, Siricilla
and Jangaon and the same was finalised in the Cabinet Meeting held on October
8, 2016. Originally the Government issued an ordinance amending the Telangana
Districts (Formation) Act, 1974 on October 8, 2016 with 27 districts.
Hyderabad district remained
untouched in the reorganization while the geographical boundaries of all the
other 9 districts underwent significant change. When the final day of formation
approached on October 11, 2016 the Government issued orders in the early hours
of that day appointing Collectors, Superintendents of Police and Commissioners
of Police besides large number of other supporting staff. The Chief Minister
inaugurated Siddipet District while other Ministers and selected officials inaugurated
other districts.
With the formation of new districts
and increasing their number to 31, people find it more convenient to approach
government agencies. Districts reorganisation was a
massive exercise taken up by Telangana, not attempted by any State in the
country. Any pro-people exercise of such magnitude will take time to stabilise.
And government is getting there, overcoming the
twin challenges of infrastructure and staff shortage in the new districts
according to Chief Secretary SP Singh.
Speaking to The
Hindu paper in the light of first anniversary of districts’ reorganisation on
October 11, 2017, the Chief Secretary said that the objective of reorganisation
was taking administration closer to people and improving quality of governance
and services. CS said that the objective has been realized in the sense that
there is much better reach of administration. People are finding it easier and
more convenient to approach government agencies and access information as well
as service delivery.
The biggest take away in the
exercise, Singh said, was enhanced level of leadership, zeal and commitment
reflected in the functioning of District Collectors. As the first Collectors of
new districts, they had to build systems and create a work culture. “I see that
the Collectors are hands on with data, information which they are leveraging
for proper designing of programmes for different sections of society and areas”
opined the Chief Secretary.
On provision of infrastructure,
the CS said that about ₹1,500 crore budgets has been sanctioned for
construction of 26 integrated district office complexes. Tenders have been
finalised and work has started. The complexes will be ready within a year says
CS. He also said that an integrated district office complex housing all department
offices at one place along with the Collectorate ensures better coordination
among different wings. The Government also sanctioned District Police Complexes
at 13 places and two Police Commissionerates in Siddipet and Ramagundam. Land
was being identified for the complexes in other new districts, he said.
On the new district
administrations and provision of staff Singh said that posts were sanctioned on
a priority basis in the important Revenue and Police departments and
recruitment was on for 2,500 posts in the revenue department. CS also said that
the State had written to the Centre for cadre strength revision to address
shortage of IAS officers. It will be done over the next three to four years.
The Chief Secretary does not
feel that fund allocation for new districts’ infrastructure and flagship
programs pose a strain on exchequer. He said that though districts are
reorganised, there was no change in population and area. The fund allocation
was based on population and areas the flagship programmes would cater to. The
Chief Secretary expressed the view that his work load has not gone up due to
the reorganization as he requires to communicate with 31 Collectors almost on
day-to-day basis instead of the earlier 10. He said that with better communication
tools and technology at government disposal, today one can instantly reach out
through video conferences, teleconferences, mobile apps and added that the
communication has become instant and faster.
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