Gujarat Cabinet clears 17 new talukas, reshapes 34th district of Vav-Tharad

The decision of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel comes ahead of the local body elections scheduled early next year.

On January 1, the Gujarat government had announced the bifurcation of Banaskantha district into two – Banaskantha and Vav-Tharad. Health minister and spokesperson of the government Rushikesh Patel said the number of talukas in proposed Banaskantha will now be 10 from eight whereas, the number of talukas in proposed Vav-Tharad district will be eight from current six, with Tharad as the district headquarters.

The new entities will come into effect from the date they are notified by the government. The government will try to complete the administrative formalities by October 2, said Patel.

The new 17 talukas include Godhar and Kothambha from Mahisagar and Panchmahal districts; Chikada from Narmada; Nana Pondha from Valsad; Rah, Dharnidhar, Ogad and Hadad from Banaskantha; Govind Guru Limdi and Sukhsar from Dahod; Kadval from Chhota Udepur; Fagvel from Kheda; Shamlaji and Sathamba from Aravalli; Ukai from Tapi; and Arethh and Ambika from Surat district. These new talukas have been carved out from 21 talukas of 11 districts.

Quoting Rushikesh Patel, an official release stated that the formation for 17 new talukas will help people in their daily dealings with Taluka-level offices. “It will lead to a comprehensive increase in facilities related to social, finance, health and education owing to close proximity of the taluka centre and saving of time, money and effort to access the Taluka centre,” it said. He said that the government has taken the decision, by positively responding to the demands of people and local office bearers in that regard.

Rushikesh Patel also said that the last new talukas, 23 of them, were announced in 2013, by the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The release also stated that the new talukas could now be developed like cities since they will get benefits of Mukhyamantri Gramothhan Yojana announced by the CM in his speech on Independence Day.

According to the release, out of the 17 new talukas, 10 will be marked as developing talukas, taking the number of such talukas in the state to 61.