This is a sample essay on “Is Smaller States Necessary for Development?” of seven hundred words for school and college students.
There new States-Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand emerged at the closing of the opening year of the New Millennium. These States have been carved out of the big States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar respectively. The government claims that the new States have been created in response to the wishes of the people. It is also said that smaller states are more viable and could contribute to greater socio-economic development. Now there is demand for the creation of more new States like Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Telengana in Andhra Pradesh and Harit Pradesh in Uttar Pradesh.
Since 1956, new State has been creates from time to time. More states have emerged from older states and a few Union territories have been given the elevated status of states. But the question is whether they have served the purpose for which they were created. However, it is true that smaller states make for rapid development, for instance-Haryana, which is one of the smaller states and also one of the most prosperous, but other small states such as Kerala, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland etc. are plagued with their own distinctive problems and so could not progress as they could. At that time of independence there were a couple of states in the North-East and now there are seven, but progress has been retarted by militancy in all these states. Punjab, the cradle of the ‘Green Revolution’ was affected by militancy for over ten years, but now it is back on the rails. While Kerala is socially developed but there is little progress on the agriculture and industrial fronts. Now it is said that on the only thing kerala produces these days is bands, hartals and demonstrations by all sections of people.
image source: plansmartnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/word-cloud-for-state-plan1.jpg
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Now these three new states have come into being. For at least another ten years or more enormous resources have to be earmarked for providing the minimum paraphernalia and infrastructure for all these three states. Governors, Chief Ministers, States Secretariats and all the vital state machinery and offices at the district level are required in these states. In the case of Chhattisgarh, Raipur has been made the capital of the new state. Madhya Pradesh government is spending Rs. 100 crore for all the renovation and modification of the important official buildings. Similarly, the basic infrastructure has to be provided for Dehradun, the capital for Uttarnchal and Ranchi, the capital for Jharkhand. All required personnel from top hierarchy to the lower rung including IAS and IPS officers and state services personnel have to be developed for the new states. It is a gigantic task it may well take a decade or more for everyone and everything to be in place. Development of the new Capitals to suit all requirements of the new states in terms of civil construction and other basic amenities will cost crores of Rupees. In this case what will happen to the development of the region as such when the infrastructure for the capital has to be built? It would have been much better if these several crore of rupees which is spent to build the basic infrastructure for these State would have been spent for the basic needs of the people in the states.
The main criterion for creating the new States is to better the lot of the people in these neglected regions. It will solve the problems of chronic neglect and discrimination. But whether it will serve the purpose is a subject of acrimonious debate. The tribal people of Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand, who occupy the last seat in the last row, will continue to do so despite the claim that the New State is meant for the welfare of the tribals. It is because the businesses, the economy of the region lie in the hands of non-tribals. And whether these ‘non-tribals’ will understand their claim is doubtful.
So, we can say that creation of new states is no solution, but the development of the states already existing is the right atmosphere where the people can enjoy basic needs and facilities to show their maximum potential. It is immaterial whether a state is small or big; what is required is a will to govern with all the sincerity in the world. A dedicated a hardworking leader makes others fall in line. We have an excellent manpower; the right leadership in every state is the need of the hour.