Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar's announcement on Tuesday that Bihar will get more districts has touched off a debate on whether there is a need to add to the list of 38.

No rule or criteria exists for creation of a new district; rather, it is a decision solely taken by the powers that be.

"Creating a new district should be aimed at better administration. If the population of one district exceeds more than 20 lakhs and the state headquarters thinks it has become unmanageable, the district may be split in two. However, in Bihar it is politics that determines a new district," said former chief secretary V.S. Dubey.

Nitish, while speaking at West Champaran on Tuesday during his Vikas Samiksha Yatra, had declared that Bagaha would be among the new districts that are to be carved out from the existing 38.

The last districts of Bihar to be created - Arwal and Seohar - were for political decisions. "In fact during creation of Arwal, there was a proposal to shift Paliganj sub-division from Patna to Arwal district because it would be closer to the district headquarters. The proposal was shot down because it did not suit politics and caste configuration of the region," said a bureaucrat, who spoke under cover of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak on the subject.

Creating a new district is a costly affair as land has to be acquired and new buildings have to be built or obtained - creating offices for the district magistrate and superintendent of police, upgrading or building new hospitals, courts, administrative offices, residential houses for officials and employees to be deployed there etc. "To build new infrastructure for a new district costs roughly Rs 100 crore and more, and then the recurring cost of putting more employees is likely to add Rs 10 crore every year," said a retired bureaucrat who did not wish to be named.

Officials pointed out that if any district does need to be split, it is Patna which has a population of over 42 lakhs and stretches to around 140km, from Mokama to Paliganj. There has been a consistent demand from the people of Barh in Patna to create a new district as residents have to travel long distances to attend courts and government offices.