Draft Ninth Five Year Plan 1997-2002 and Annual Plan 1997-98 Vol. - I (Madhya Pradesh)

Abstract

From Historical Background : On re-organisation of States, the new State of Madhya Pradesh was formed on November 1, 1956. Areas which now form part of the new State are the seventeen districts of Mahakoshal, the whole of Bhopal, consisting of two districts, the whole of Vindhya Pradesh, comprising of eight districts, the whole of Madhya Bharat, comprising of sixteen districts, except the Sunel enclave of Mandsaur district, which was included in Rajasthan, and the Sironj sub-division of the Kotah district of Rajasthan. Thus, four entirely different types of units were integrated to form the new State of Madhya Pradesh. At the time of its formation, the State had 43 districts. Subsequently, two large districts were bifurcated and hence the State presently has 45 districts. The districts are, however, not uniform in either area or population. The smallest district, Datia has an area of only 2.0 thousand sq. kms., while Bastar, the largest district of the State, has an area of 39.1 thousand sq. kms., thus being even larger in size than the State of Kerala.