The Orissa High Court has directed the State government not to issue final order on district reorganisation without taking the court into confidence.
Akshaya Kumar Mohanty had moved the High Court pleading that the government should declare Rairangpur as new district taking Bamanghati (commonly known as Rairangpur) and Panchapid (commonly known as Karanjia) sub-divisions under its fold.
There has been huge buzz around creation of new districts especially after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had assured to consider creation of Padamapur, a sub-division of Bargarh district, as a new district. The announcement was made during bye-election of Padamapur constituency last year. Subsequently, massive mobilisation in support of creation of new districts was witnessed in places such as Kantabanji and Rairangpur.
Creation of new districts is likely to be a major poll issue during the next Assembly and Parliamentary elections next year.
At present, Odisha has 30 districts. Last, district reorganisation was carried out in 1993. As many as 17 new districts were carved out from 13 districts.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice B. R. Sarangi and Justice M. S. Raman, while adjudicating the public interest litigation, observed that on the basis of the pleadings available on record, it appeared that the State was going to make further districts without having any guidelines or principles in place.
“With regard to power of formation of new district, except the report of the Justice Raj Kishore Das Committee in the year 1975 and the Cabinet Sub-Committee of 1991, nothing is made available or placed on record as to how to re-organize the districts in the recent days,” the division bench further remarked.
“The process of reorganization of district, which the State Government wants to undertake may continue, but no final order shall be passed without leave of this Court,” ordered ACJ Justice Sarangi and Justice Raman.
During course of hearing, S. K. Dash, counsellor for the petitioner, argued that a Districts Re-organization Committee headed by Justice Raj Kishore Das had submitted a report on September 29, 1975 to providing certain guidelines to be followed for creation of new districts.
The guideline says the geographical area should be inhabited by 15-20 lakh population, should have minimum of 15,000 sq. km in area relaxable in certain circumstances and economic condition and backwardness of the area should be taken into consideration.
But, after long lapse of more than 15 years, pursuant to the recommendation made, a Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted for creation of new districts in the State. Subsequently, the number of districts, which was originally 13, was increased to 30, by virtue of the recommendation made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee in 1993. But, at present there is no such settled guideline to create new districts.
