LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary and Nehru-Gandhi dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Amethi on Thursday became the 72nd district of the state. It will be known as Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, with Gauriganj as the headquarters.
The new district Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar would comprise three Tehsils of Sultanpur district, namely Amethi, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana and two of Rai Bareli district, namely Salon and Tiloi.
The Thursday’s decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mayawati, following the Allahabad High Court’s directive on March 10 to consider constitution of the new Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district, generally known as Amethi, within three months’ time.
It has been a seven-year-old dream of the BSP supremo Mayawati, who had for the first time announced the creation of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar in December 2002 at a rally in Amethi. The notification was finally issued in 2003 when she was heading a coalition government. She had resigned on August 29, 2003.
Later, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who became the Chief Minister with the help of the Congress in August 2003, on October 7, 2003 rejected the government notification of creation of the new Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district along with nine other districts and four divisions on November 11, 2003.
However, all of them were restored after Mayawati came to power in 2007.