Politics of making new districts in Haryana

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal

When Haryana became a separate state on 1st November 1966, Haryana got 5 complete districts (Karnal, Rohtak, Hisar, Gurugram and Mahender Garh) and two truncated districts Ambala (minus present Ropar/Roopnagar district of Punjab) and Jind used to be part of Sangrur district.

Then on 22nd December 1972, Chaudhary Bansi Lal carved out Bhiwani district out of Hisar and Mahender Garh districts (taking out Siwani, Tosham & Bhiwani area out of Hisar and Loharu & Charkhi Dadri out of Mahender Garh district). To compensate Mahender Garh district, Rewari was taken out of Gurgaon and included in Mahender Garh district. Sonipat was also carved out as a separate district from Rohtak on the same day by including Sonipat and Gohana Tehsils. Then on 23rd January 1973, Kurukshetra was carved out as a separate district from Karnal by including Thanesar and Kaithal tehsils.
On public demand Sirsa was also made a district on 26th August 1975. Sirsa and Dabwali tehsils were included in it. Faridabad was also made a separate district on 15th August 1979 by taking out Ballabgarh and Palwal Tehsils.
On 1st November 1989, four more districts were carved out. Rewari from Mahender Garh, Kaithal from Kurukshetra, Panipat from Karnal and Yamuna Nagar from Ambala. Later because of strike by lawyers from Karnal, Panipat was denotified as a district on 24th July 1991. However, within a short period it was notified as a district on 1st July 1992, excluding Assandh tehsil.
Panchkula was made a district on 15th August 1995, Jhajjar and Fatehabad on 15th July 1997.
Mewat was made a district on 4th April 2005 with headquarters at Nuh. Later the name was changed to Nuh in 2016. Palwal became a district on 15th August 2008. It was carved out from Faridabad district.
Charkhi Dadri was made 22nd district on 24th September 2016. It was separated from Bhiwani district. Originally it was proposed to merge Loharu tehsil in it, however, due to resistance from people of Loharu, it was retained in Bhiwani district.