No new district in J&K, the chapter is closed: Chief Minister

Srinagar, Aug 24 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said no new district will be created in the state.

However, he said, there is a possibility of creating new sub-divisions and tehsils in the state.

Interverning during question hour on a question by Ghulam Ahmad Mir that whether it is a fact that government has created new administrative districts, sub-divisional office and tehsils in the state, the Chief Minister said there is no question creating new districts now.

The chapter is closed, he said, adding that new districts were created after more than 20 years by the coalition government.

When a member from National Conference (NC) Sharief Uddin Sharik asked about the criterion for creating new districts, tehsils and sub-divisiona, Mr Azad said'' better you do not open the Pandora box, you will be a loser.'' About the allegations of some members that the S S Blouria committee was set up for the delimitation of geographical boundaries of these newly-created administrative units, the Chief Minister said a cabinet sub-committee was formed to receive the complaints from the parties feeling neglected or deliberately put in other district, tehsil or sub-division.

The cabinet sub-committee corrected many genuine issues raised by the people, he said.

He said there is scope for opening new sub-divisions and tehsils in different parts of the state.

''If members will agree, we will introduce 25 km distance from one sub-division to another and 20 km distance between two tehsils,'' he said.

He said in some cases the distance from tehsil or sub-division is 80 kms while in other it is just five km.

However, he said ''what has happened in the past has happened, but now we will take every measure to see that only the neglected areas are given sub-division and tehsils in case they need it.'' Leader of the Opposition in the house Abdul Rahim Rather alleged that the cabinet sub-committee had made many changes in the Blouria committee recommendations without any representation from anybody.

He said he wanted to know what happened to his letter written by him to the Chief Minister.

Mr Mubarak Gul of the same party said only one new tehsil was given to Srinagar district, taking it to two, while Jammu has five tehils and newly created Ganderbal district has three.

Mir Saifullah alleged that the frontier district of Kupwara was totally ignored by the government in the matter. No new tehsil and sub-division was created in the district.

Earlier, minister Prem Sagar Aziz in reply to a question by Mir said six villages of Shahabad constituency have been included with tehsil Kokernag as their distance from kokernag was much less against distance from Doru.

However, Mr Mir challenged it and demanded a probe. He said he will surrender if his allegations that distance from Doru was nearer proved wrong.

UNI