States should be neither too big nor too small: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Stating that a state should neither be too small nor too big, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said he is in favour of carving out smaller states.

"I am in principle a votary of smaller states... and my statement is not with respect to Uttar Pradesh or other states," Kumar told reporters.

Stating that his statement be seen in the right context, Kumar said, "the states should be comparatively smaller in concept as the states have biggest responsibility for development and welfare... a government should be in a position to have effective control over the state".

"I mean that there should be a state neither too small and too big in size... there should not be state with two to four districts," he said.

The chief minister said a state should have not less than 100 Assembly seats. "A state be carved out taking into account the population and area," Kumar added.

Earlier during the day, amidst din, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed a controversial resolution on splitting the state into four parts by voice vote minutes after which the lower house was adjourned sine die.

UP Chief Minister Mayawati, who had announced the proposal recently to split the state into Purvanchal, Paschim Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Awadh Pradesh, presented the resolution saying that it was being forwarded to the Centre.

As soon as the proposal was passed by voice vote amidst noisy scenes, Speaker Rajbhar adjourned the House sine-die.