Himachal constitutes commission to examine creation of new districts, reorganisation of administrative units

Shimla, Oct 14

Himachal Pradesh government has constituted a four-member commission to examine the reorganisation of administrative units across the state, including the creation, merger and bifurcation of districts, subdivisions, tehsils, sub-tehsils and development blocks.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department on October 14, the commission will be headed by retired Himachal Pradesh High Court judge Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary. Advocate Vishal Panwar and retired Indian Forest Service officer Rajesh Sharma have been appointed as members, while the Director of Land Records will serve as the member secretary.

The commission has been mandated to examine the existing administrative structure and assess the need for reorganising administrative units on the basis of population, geographical conditions, accessibility, administrative efficiency and public convenience.

It will consult stakeholders, public representatives and concerned departments before making recommendations to the state government. The commission will also assess the financial implications of creating new administrative units, including the expenditure required for infrastructure and manpower.

Another important aspect of its mandate is to recommend measures for streamlining existing administrative offices without imposing an additional financial burden on the state exchequer.

The commission will have a tenure of six months and is required to submit its final report, along with specific recommendations, within this period. Its headquarters will be located in Shimla.

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The government has directed the Revenue Department and all Deputy Commissioners to provide the commission with the necessary demographic data, official records and secretarial assistance. The General Administration Department will arrange office accommodation, vehicles and other facilities for the chairman and members.

Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant has issued the formal orders concerning the constitution of the commission.

The exercise assumes importance as the proposed reorganisation could have implications for administrative accessibility, delivery of public services and the distribution of government offices across Himachal Pradesh. However, the notification does not itself announce the creation of any new district or administrative unit. Such changes will depend on the commission’s assessment and recommendations and the subsequent decisions of the state government.

The proposed exercise, however, raises questions about the logistical and fiscal feasibility of expanding the administrative network in a state facing mounting debt and financial constraints. New districts and subdivisions would entail recurring expenditure on offices, personnel, vehicles and other facilities, potentially creating long-term liabilities for the exchequer.

Reacting to the constitution of the commission, a bureaucrat described it as “the most incompetent panel” notified by the state government, questioning the suitability of its composition for an exercise involving complex administrative, financial and territorial issues.

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