Himachal Pradesh forms panel to study district reorganisation, sparking political clash

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has formed a four-member commission to study the reorganisation of districts and other administrative units, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition BJP over the timing of the move. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu backed the commission, which was formally notified on October 14 after being cleared on May 22. Retired High Court judge Dharam Chand Chaudhary is heading the panel, with advocate Vishal Panwar and retired Indian Forest Service officer Rajesh Sharma serving as members, alongside the Director of Land Records as member-secretary. The commission has six months to submit its findings on whether to create new units or merge and divide existing ones based on population, geography, and administrative efficiency.

Reaction and Context

The BJP has questioned the timing of the step, as Assembly elections are slated for November 2027. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and senior BJP MLA Satpal Singh Satti accused the government of trying to hide its failure to keep 2022 poll promises, while also pointing to the state's severe financial crunch and the high costs of building new offices and infrastructure. Sukhu defended the step as a system change to bring governance closer to citizens, noting that final decisions will depend entirely on the panel's report. Himachal Pradesh last redrew its districts on September 1, 1972, when the number of districts increased from nine to twelve.