Chhota Udepur is Gujarat’s 28th dist

Apparently with an eye on tribal votes, chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced the creation of the new district of Chhota Udepur. The new district will start functioning from January 26, 2013, said Modi at a public rally held there.

A high-level committee headed by the chief secretary has been constituted to decide on the talukas and villages that will be included in the new district, the state’s 28th.

It is to be noted that Gir-Somnath was declared the 27th district of the state just last month at a public rally of fishermen from the coastal districts.

Though some observers are ascribing political motives to it, the state government claims that the step is part of its initiative towards decentralisation to make administration easy.

“A separate district gives a sense of proximity to the state government. Routine government work gets done much faster and more easily, as travelling to the new district headquarters takes less time and money,” said a government official on the condition of anonymity.

Modi also announced two major ambitious irrigation projects (together they will cost Rs4,000 crore) for people of the remote hilly region which is often at the mercy of the monsoon. The projects will take water from the rivers to the fields with the help of technology.

The chief minister distributed forest land title papers to tribal people and said that, among all states, Gujarat had distributed the maximum number of forest land papers to tribals. He further said that the Rs40,000 crore Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojna will be implemented for their all-round development.

Modi highlighted that the percentage of water taps to tribal households had shot up from 4% to 76% since he took office 10 years ago.