The Rural Development Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, on Tuesday favoured splitting Uttar Pradesh to end the “administrative nightmare” in the country’s biggest State.

“Uttar Pradesh should be divided. The magnitude of problems is very high (in the State). 200 million people, 75 districts, each district 2.5 million people,” Mr Ramesh, who was touring the Naxal-affected areas of Sonbhadra district, told reporters here.

It is the first such comment from a leader in Congress, which has chosen to remain ambivalent on the issue and comes months after the previous Mayawati Government got a controversial resolution passed on splitting the State into four.

The Congress had said it favoured constitution of State reorganisation commission before taking the decision to split so that resources division and other issues could be considered.

Mr Ramesh, who was here to assess the development work being undertaken under Centre’s Integrated Action Plan, said administration is not able to reach the backward regions, particularly in Eastern UP, because of its size and large population and noted that the State would overtake Indonesia in 10 years.

“Indonesia is 5th most populated country in the world and if the same scenario continues, UP will overtake that country in 10 years,” the Minister said.

Problems are too big.... I find it very difficult how particularly Poorvanchal will develop, he said.

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