Uttar Pradesh should be divided: Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh

NEW DELHI/SONBHADRA: Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has suggested splitting Uttar Pradesh to end the "administrative nightmare" in the country's biggest state. "Uttar Pradesh should be divided." This is the first time that a Congress leader has unequivocally called for the division of the state.

The Congress, which has been in a fix over the creation of Telegana, has been ambivalent on the issue of creating smaller states. Playing it safe, the Congress has consistently said that matters such as the creation of smaller states were best dealt by an expert group like the States Reorganisation Committee. Ramesh, who is on a two-day tour of the naxal affected areas of Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, has apparently thrown all caution to the winds.

"Area wise Uttar Pradesh is too big. Population wise it is too big. The magnitude of problems in the state are very high—there are 200 million people in 75 districts, that works out to 2.5 million people in each district...Problems are too big.... I find it very difficult how particularly Poorvanchal will develop," said Ramesh

The rural development minister is of the view that the administration is not able to reach the backward regions of the state, particularly in eastern UP, because of its size and large population. The "administrative nightmare" is likely worsen as the state's population is expected to overtake Indonesia in 10 years. "Indonesia is 5th most populated country in the world and if the same scenario continues, UP will overtake that country in 10 years," Ramesh said.

In a pre-election move, former chief minister Mayawati had pushed through a resolution in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly in November to break up the state into four smaller parts. The BSP chief had said that such a move was essential for “proper development†of the state. Unable to question the efficacy of smaller administrative units, the Congress opted to defer taking a position. It suggested that the matter needed to be examined and a States Reorganisation Commission be constituted for the purpose.

In its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh elections, the Congress chose to play it safe—suggesting that that small states “may be desirable†for “better administration and for effective implementation machinery†but at the same time stressed “creating a new state or states out of existing states always leads to complex issues†. These required to be “deliberated dispassionately†by an expert Body like a States Re-organisation Commission. “If the Congress comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it will ask the Centre to appoint a Second States Reorganisation Commission to look into and address the issues appropriately,†the manifesto stated.

Ramesh’s remarks are unlikely to go down well with the ruling Samajwadi Party, which had opposed the proposal when mooted by Mayawati. The SP, which has been giving support to the UPA government on crucial issues, has made it clear that it is unwilling to even considering the idea of breaking up the state. It has maintained that the people of the Uttar Pradesh were against splitting the state.