Beyond party politics, the abolition of the recently formed nine districts in Rajasthan by the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government is likely to jeopardise the success of its own “Panch Gaurav” scheme launched last year to boost the economy in at least 9-10 districts.
The scheme was launched by the incumbent government to promote five district-specific aspects at national and international levels, such as mineral products, tourist monuments, local traditional sports, and agro or handmade products. This initiative aimed to boost the local economy and bring glory and distinction to each district, nationally and globally.
Now, people as well as entrepreneurs from the nine abolished districts — Gangapur, Anoopgarh, Neem ka Thana, Sanchore, Dudu, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, and Shahpura — are worried about the prospects of finding markets for their district-specific products, art, sports, or monuments.
Among these districts, Neem Ka Thana is famous for feldspar mineral, amla(agro product), wrestling (sports), neem (flora), and Mansa Mata (spiritual tourism).
Likewise, Gangapur is distinguished as the home of Kheermohan(sweet), Taekwondo (Sports), Sheesham (flora), and Sarson (agro product).
The other abolished districts also have similar products, places, or traditions with the potential to gain popularity in national or international markets or platforms.
As independent districts, these cities aspired to boost their local economies and gain glory and distinction. However, they now face looming uncertainty about achieving these goals.