Four new districts in Karnataka

Four more districts have been inaugurated in Karnataka, taking their number to 27.

Crisscrossing the state, Chief Minister J H Patel inaugurated Udupi district on Monday and Koppal, Gadag and Haveri on Sunday. On August 15, he inaugurated three new districts of Bagalkote, Chamarajnagar and Davangere.

Haveri and Gadag districts had been carved out of Dharwad district which had as many as 17 talukas. Koppal has been formed from Bijapur district and Udupi from Dakshina Kannada district.

The demand for bifurcating districts had been pending for a a very long time. Despite three high-powered committees submitting reports on bifurcation, no decision had been taken by the previous governments.

Speaking at Gadag and Koppal, Patel defended the government's decision to go in for small districts stating it would ensure better administration and effective maintenance of law and order. He also called for the creation of smaller states.

Patel said his government would shortly take up the reorganisation of taluks -- another long-pending demand. A decision on bifurcating Gulbarga district is also on the cards.

UNI