The BJP government in Rajasthan has decided to dissolve nine districts created by the previous Congress administration, citing that they were neither "practical" nor in the "public interest." Three new divisions were also dissolved during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday.
Following this decision, the state will now have seven divisions and 41 districts, according to Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister Jogaram Patel.
In another move, the cabinet decided to extend the validity of Common Eligibility Test (CET) scores to three years, instead of the previous one-year period.
The Congress leadership has strongly condemned the decision, stating that it will consider legal action if necessary.
The former Ashok Gehlot-led government had created 17 new districts and three new divisions, in addition to issuing a notification for three more districts, all of which have now been cancelled by the Bhajan Lal Sharma government.
Minister Patel explained that the decisions were made based on reports from a cabinet sub-committee and an expert committee, which concluded that the newly formed districts were impractical, unhelpful, and an unnecessary burden on the state government.
Patel further claimed that these districts were created solely for political reasons, without considering factors like financial resources, administrative needs, law and order, and cultural harmony. He also pointed out that the previous government had not created necessary positions or constructed office buildings for the new districts.
The government has decided to retain eight districts—Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Phalodi, and Salumbhar—while dissolving nine newly formed districts: Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore, and Shahpura.
The cabinet also dissolved the Banswara, Pali, and Sikar divisions and cancelled the creation of three new districts—Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman City—which had been announced just before the elections.
Patel stated that the government took these decisions after thoroughly considering all aspects of administration. However, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the move, calling it an example of recklessness and political revenge. Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully also criticised the decision.
Dotasra stated that the Congress and the people of Rajasthan would protest, accusing the government of acting hastily to prevent legal challenges. Jully announced plans for a mass movement to reverse the decision, claiming that it was anti-people and depriving the public of their rights.
The cabinet also decided to reorganise the panchayats, panchayat samitis, and district councils in the state. However, there was no discussion on cancelling the Police Sub Inspector (SI) recruitment exam during the meeting.
In a separate development, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara announced that Schedule-1 of Rule 14 of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2017, was amended to make CET scores valid for three years in Rajasthan.
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