Burdwan set for division in two districts

Burdwan, popularly known as the ‘Rice bowl of Bengal’ may soon loose its century old status of being one of the largest districts of Bengal. After an all-party meeting held at Burdwan District Magistrate's office on Monday, it has finally been decided that Burdwan would shortly be divided in two different districts considering the zonal-character diversity of this widely spread area.

Briefing the press, state law-minister Malay Ghatak confirmed about the decision.

The decision to divide the district is nothing new, but it has been a long-standing demand particularly from the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt since when the Asansol District Formation Committee was formed in 1982.

Though, it never happened under the left-regime. But now after the Monday meeting, the formation of Asansol district (industrial belt) and Burdwan district (rural agro-based parts) are just to get the official acknowledgment. However, the final nomenclatures of these two are yet to be decided. The all-party decision has already been faxed to the respective departments of the state.

Apart from minister Ghatak and District Magistrate Onkar Singh Meena, several prominent leaders like TMC District President (rural) Swapan Debnath, CPM District President Amal Halder, Congress leader Lakshmi Nayek, BJP District President Debiprasad Mullick, Mehbbob Mandol of Forward Block were also present during the meeting.

Talking to media, Meena said, “Right now Burdwan consists of 25 assemblies all together. And the separation that has been ensured today through all-party concern is more likely to focus upon the agro and industrial characters quite individually. 16 out of 25 assemblies is actually agro belt, so we have decided to keep this to one side from the other 9 assemblies those are truly of Industrial nature.”


“We really had no objections regarding this district-partition issue. We just placed our views that Kanksa Block should remain undivided, but district administration didn’t entertain us,” said CPM leader Amal Halder. Ex-MLA of Forward Block Mehbub Mandol expressed his party's view of naming the districts as East and West Burdwan. BJP also echoed the same in terms of naming the districts.

While on the other hand West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Pradip Bhattacharjee sounded quite cynical about the decision. “If the separation really happens to Burdwan it would certainly hamper the interest of the agro-belt,” he added.

The partition may hurt the existing agro-industry harmony of the district and may cause a huge down-fall to the state tax-revenue too.