R S Gull
SRINAGAR
Jammu region where slightly more than 42% of state’s 1.25 crore population lives has grown huge in volume, thanks to the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) that created less administrative units in Kashmir where more than 55% of state’s population lives.
In the new 669 units that the cabinet approved on the recommendations of Tara Chand led CSC, 348 have gone to Jammu region. Kashmir has got 273 and 48 have gone to the Ladakh desert comprising two districts.
This has further reduced the administrative network in Kashmir that already had lesser number of units operational. The situation across the state on existing administrative units was like this.
Kashmir had five sub divisions, 39 tehsils, 59 community development blocks and 120 niabats – a total of 223 units.
Jammu had 239 units comprising 11 sub divisions, 37 tehsils, 66 community development blocks and 125 niabats.
Ladakh had a total of 39 units including five sub divisions, six tehsils, 18 community development blocks and 10.
The Committee led by former Revenue Secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai had suggested a total of 223 units across the state, going strictly by the criterion fixed for the new creations.
Ganai had recommended creation of 101 units in Kashmir – 12 sub divisions, 25 tehsils, 31 CD blocks and 33 niabats.
For Jammu, the Ganai committee had recommended 109 units – more than Kashmir, including 10 sub divisions, 28 tehsils, 29 CD blocks and 41 niabats.
Ladakh comprising the two districts of Leh and Kargil were supposed to get a total of 13 units including one sub division, four tehsils, three CD blocks and five niabats.
The situation changed completely after the CSC comprising the members from NC and Congress was mandated to take over and improve the listing. Part of their exercise was to find faults. Even in the report, the CSC had mentioned disparities in the creation of his administrative units. In the follow up, the committee simply doubled what Ganai committee had recommended. While Ganai followed some methods, the CSC floated everything because it lacked any rulebook.
CSC ended up creating 437 units across the state. It distributed these units amongst various regions like this:
Of the 172 units that Kashmir got, there are three sub divisions, 29 tehsils, 48 CD blocks and 92 niabats.
Jammu got a total of 239 units which included 16 sub divisions, 44 tehsils, 55 CD bocks and 124 niabats.
Ladakh region got additional 35 units including four sub divisions, five tehsils, 10 CD blocks and 16 niabats.
It is interesting to mention CSC gave Ladakh four sub divisions and Kashmir only three as Jammu moved with 16 sub divisions.
Now the effective position from now-onwards is like this. Total number of administrative units across the state excepting districts are 1170.
Of them Jammu is home to 37 sub divisions, 110 tehsils, 150 community development blocks and 290 niabats
Kashmir is left with 20 sub divisions, 93 tehsils, 138 community development blocks and 245 niabats.
The youngest region of Ladakh with two districts and slightly more than two percent of state’s population has 10 sub divisions, 15 tehsils, 31 community development blocks and 31 niabats.
Long live Omar led coalition. A history is created. Indeed.
