Rajasthan State PCS

• 18 Mar 2023

19 New Districts, 3 New Divisions will be Formed in Rajasthan

Why in News? 

• On 17 March 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the creation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions in the state during his course of the discussion on the Finance and Appropriation Bill in the Legislative Assembly. 

Key Points  

• After the announcement of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, there are 50 districts and 10 divisions in the state now.  
• An announcement was made by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to make Anupgarh, Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur North, Jaipur South, Jodhpur East, Jodhpur West, Kekri, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal, Neem Ka Thana, Phalodi, Salumbar, Sanchor and Shahpura districts. Along with this, he announced to make Banswara, Pali and Sikar divisions. 
• Jaipur North, Jaipur South, Dudu and Phalodi districts have been carved out of Jaipur district.   
• Jodhpur East, Jodhpur West and Kotputli-Behror districts have been carved out of Jodhpur district.  
• In the same way- Shri Ganganagar to Anupgarh, Barmer to Balotra, Ajmer to Beawar and Kekri, Bharatpur to Deeg, Nagaur to Didwana-Kuchaman City, Sawai Madhopur to Gangapur City, Alwar to Khairthal, Sikar to Neem Ka Thana, Udaipur to Salumbar, Jalore to Sanchore and Shahpura has been carved out of Bhilwara as a new district. 
• Significantly, the new districts have been announced after 15 years. Earlier, on January 26, 2008, Pratapgarh became the 33rd district of Rajasthan. And the last announcement of the divisional headquarters was made 18 years back in 2005. On June 4, 2005 Bharatpur was created as the 7th division of Rajasthan.

Important Announcements Made by The Chief Minister

Why in News?

• On March 17, 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot made several important announcements including giving free smartphones to 40 lakh women from Raksha Bandhan festival in the first phase under the Chief Minister's Digital Seva Yojana during the reply to the discussion on the Finance and Appropriation Bill.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the creation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions in the state.
• Other important announcements made by the Chief Minister-
• Govind Dev Ji Temple, Jaipur at a cost of Rs 100 crore will be developed on the lines of Mahakal Ujjain.
• Pushkar Development Authority will be formed for the overall development of Tirtharaj Pushkar.
• Development works worth Rs 100 crore will be done in Beneshwar Dham, Dungarpur next year.
• After the completion of the Centre's Saubhagya Yojana, domestic connections will be made available to 2 lakh families who have been deprived of domestic electricity connections at a cost of Rs 1000 crore.
• Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 3 lakh families in 8 towns and 1473 villages of Udaipur, Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh and Rajsamand districts will be provided water connections to every household at a cost of Rs 4674 crore.
• Villages with more than 250 populations in tribal and desert areas of the state will be connected with asphalt roads in a phased manner.
• In the coming year, bridge courses will be conducted for students up to class 8th at a cost of Rs 75 crore, so that the academic losses incurred during the Corona period can be compensated. This will benefit 70 lakh children.
• In order to facilitate school education, it was announced to upgrade of 500 primary schools to upper primary schools and 500 upper primary schools to higher secondary schools. Science, commerce and agriculture faculty/subjects will be started in 400 higher secondary schools.
• On the lines of the Education Department, 2 sets of free uniforms will be made available to the children studying in madrassas and also, 6843 Education Instructors (Madrassa Parateachers) will be recruited.
• Approval of all pension benefits will be issued to the personnel from May 2023 only on the day of retirement. Pensioners above the age of 75 years will be given an additional allowance of 10 percent on the basic pay in the pension amount.