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| Can adding five new divisions stem demand for separate statehood for Jammu? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 8: Even though tempers keep on rising against what sections of people allege discrimination by the State Government in clearing the plan for setting up about 700 new administrative units in Jammu and Kashmir, voices demanding increase in administrative divisions and police divisions and zones have started multiplying.
And the most articulate and intelligent leader in the National Conference camp, Mohd. Shafi, MP, has suggested creation of seven divisions in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of reorganization for improved administrative activities. Instead of existing two divisions the state should have seven divisions without adding any new district.
Mohd. Shafi's plan is to create three divisions each in the Kashmir valley and in Jammu region. He wants separate division for the Ladakh region, which falls under the Kashmir division. He seems to be partly right when he finds that keeping Ladakh in the Kashmir division may increase difficulties for people living in the land of Lamas and may not allow the Government to tone up its administrative activities.
Well what could be music to the ears of the Jammuites is Mohd. Shafi's vision which does give weightage to parity between the region of Kashmir and that of the Jammu region. As far as the Jammu region is concerned he wants to have three divisions, the Jammu division, the Chenab valley division and the Pir Panjal division.
The districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur could be part of the Jammu division. Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts could be part of the Chenab valley division and Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts may be included in the Pir Panjal division.
His plan is to divide the Kashmir valley in three divisions. North Kashmir division to have Baramulla, Bandipore and Kupwara districts, South Kashmir to include the districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and the districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal to be part of the central Kashmir division.
If Mohd. Shafi's plan is accepted and implemented it means that for a total population of 1.26 crores and for a total area of 2.22 lakh sq kms area and for 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir there will be seven divisions. When for a population of about 20 crores, for an area of 2.43 sq kms and for 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh there are only 18 divisions. In Rajasthan, which has a population of seven crores, area of 3.42 lakh sq kms and 33 districts there are only seven divisions.
And if Mohd. Shafi's plan is accepted it may be followed by demand for further reorganization of the state and for creation of more districts. Already people in various segments in the regions of Kashmir and Jammu have started demanding either tehsil status or CD blocks.
The police have been already in the forefront of those forces demanding creation of more police divisions, zones and ranges. To begin with the top police brass has demanded creation of a separate police division for the region of Ladakh.
Rough estimates reveal that the plan on creation of 700 new administrative units in Jammu and Kashmir may impose additional financial burden to the tune of Rs. 1500 crores to Rs. 2200 crores per year. This way adding five more divisions could increase the annual financial requirement to over Rs. 3500 crores. Another Rs. 1000 crores may be required if the Government accepted the police demand for creating one new police division and increase the number of zones and Ranges in the state.
Already the state has to bank on more than 80 per cent financial help from the Centre for its plan and non-plan activities, including the monthly exercise on meeting the wage bill of the Government employees. Will the Government of India be able to earmark additional financial support to the tune of Rs. 3500 crores if more divisions were created alongwith increase in police Ranges and zones? Only New Delhi can answer this question.
More important than this is the question whether adding five new divisions could silence those demanding separate statehood for the Jammu region ? If carving out five new divisions in Jammu and Kashmir can stem the demand for a separate statehood for the region of Jammu, Shafi's plan is worth consideration. |
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