List of districts of Himachal Pradesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts, the Revenue department of which is headed by a Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Himachal Administrative Service and other Himachal state services.
District administration
A District Judge serves as the head of the Judiciary of the district. Courts subordinate to him include those of the Civil Judges, Senior Civil Judges, and Judicial Magistrates.
A Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Police Service and other Himachal Police officials.
A Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service is responsible for managing the Forests, environment and wild-life related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Forest Service and other Himachal Forest officials and Himachal Wild-Life officials.
Sectoral development is looked after by the district head of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers belong to the various State Services.
List
| S. No. | District | Headquarters | Established | Area (km2) | Population (2011 census)[1] | Population density (/km2) | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bilaspur | Bilaspur | 1954 | 1,167 | 381,956 | 327 | .svg) |
| 2 | Chamba | Chamba | 1948 | 6,522 | 519,080 | 80 | .svg) |
| 3 | Hamirpur | Hamirpur | 1972 | 1,118 | 454,768 | 407 | .svg) |
| 4 | Kangra | Dharamsala | 1972 | 5,739 | 1,510,075 | 263 | .svg) |
| 5 | Kinnaur | Reckong Peo | 1960 | 6,401 | 84,121 | 13 | .svg) |
| 6 | Kullu | Kullu | 1963 | 5,503 | 437,903 | 80 | .svg) |
| 7 | Lahaul and Spiti | Kyelang | 1960 | 13,835 | 18,564 | 1 | .svg) |
| 8 | Mandi | Mandi | 1948 | 3950 | 999,777 | 250 | .svg) |
| 9 | Shimla | Shimla | 1972 | 5,131 | 814,010 | 159 | .svg){kind=spacer} |
| 10 | Sirmaur | Nahan | 1948 | 2,825 | 529,855 | 188 | .svg) |
| 11 | Solan | Solan | 1972 | 1,936 | 580,320 | 300 | .svg) |
| 12 | Una | Una | 1972 | 1,540 | 521,173 | 338 | .svg) |
Demands for new districts
Proposals for new districts in Himachal Pradesh are primarily driven by the state's rugged mountainous terrain, which creates significant travel distances to current district headquarters. Demands focus on decentralizing administration to improve governance in extreme interior regions, as well as enhancing infrastructure, security, and law enforcement along sensitive international and interstate borders.[2]
| Proposed District | Proposed HQ | Border / Region | Rationale for Creation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed from Chamba | |||
| Bharmour | Bharmour | Borders Jammu and Kashmir (Bhaderwah). | Proposed to establish a permanent administrative presence in one of India's most remote regions, near the Kishtwar border.[3] |
| Pangi | Killar | Borders Ladakh (Zanskar) and Jammu and Kashmir (Kishtwar/Padder). | Demanded to improve governance and infrastructure in extreme terrain adjacent to sensitive union territory borders.[4][5] |
| Proposed from Kangra | |||
| Nurpur | Nurpur | Borders Punjab (Pathankot) and Jammu and Kashmir (Kathua). | Proposed to decentralize administration and manage interstate border requirements.[2] |
| Dehra | Dehra Gopipur | Borders Punjab (Hoshiarpur/Gurdaspur). | Aimed at improving local administration and interstate coordination.[2] |
| Palampur | Palampur | Interior hilly region. | Proposed to reduce travel distances for residents in the interior blocks.[2] |
| Jaisinghpur | Jaisinghpur | Interior hilly region. | Sought by local bodies to improve administrative accessibility.[6] |
| Proposed from Kinnaur | |||
| Reo Purgyil (Upper Kinnaur) | Pooh | Borders Ladakh (Kaurik/Tashigang) and China. | Strategically significant area; proposed to improve border security coordination and infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control. |
| Maathi-Baspa | Rakchham | Borders Ladakh (Pulam Sumda) and China. | Driven by the strategic need for a dedicated administrative setup near the international border. |
| Proposed from Kullu | |||
| Manali | Manali | Interior hilly region. | Proposed to manage the high volume of tourism and decentralized administrative needs.[7] |
| Proposed from Lahaul and Spiti | |||
| Spiti | Kaza | Borders Ladakh (Chumar) and China. | Proposed to enhance border security and infrastructure on the sensitive international border with Tibet.[8][9] |
| Proposed from Mandi | |||
| Jogindernagar | Jogindernagar | Interior hilly region. | Demanded to decentralize administration from the Mandi district headquarters.[10] |
| Sundernagar | Sundernagar | Interior hilly region. | Proposed to address the administrative requirements of a growing urban and rural population.[2] |
| Dharampur | Dharampur | Interior hilly region. | Demanded by local residents to improve localized governance.[11] |
| Proposed from Shimla | |||
| Rampur | Rampur Bushahr | Borders Uttarakhand (Yamunotri/Uttarkashi). | Proposed to establish a dedicated administrative setup (Collector and SP) to manage the interior and border regions effectively.[12] |
| Mahasu | Kotkhai | Borders Uttarakhand (Tiuni/Chakrata). | Aimed at decentralizing governance from the state capital region.[2] |
| Proposed from Sirmaur | |||
| Paonta Sahib | Paonta Sahib | Borders Uttarakhand (Dehradun) and Haryana (Yamunanagar). | An industrial and transit hub; proposed to improve law enforcement and revenue management on busy interstate borders.[13] |
| Proposed from Solan | |||
| Nalagarh | Nalagarh / Baddi | Borders Chandigarh and Haryana (Panchkula). | Proposed to provide dedicated administrative and law enforcement resources to the state's primary industrial belt.[14] |
| Proposed from Una | |||
| East Una | Amb | Borders Punjab (Hoshiarpur). | Proposed to manage interstate transit, law enforcement, and local administrative delivery.[15] |