Harit Pradesh is a proposed new state of India comprising the western parts of Uttar Pradesh state. The etymology derives from Harit, meaning Green (which signifies the agricultural prosperity of the region), and Pradesh, meaning state.
The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns that are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana, Punjab and North Rajasthan areas.
The proposed capital is Meerut. Hastinapur which is part of Meerut district also served as capital for Kuru Kingdom as described in Hindu text such as Mahabharata.
History
In his 1955 critique of the proposed States Reorganisation Act, Thoughts on Linguistic States, B. R. Ambedkar had advocated the division of Uttar Pradesh into three states – Western, Central and Eastern, with capitals at Meerut, Kanpur and Prayagraj respectively – in order to prevent excessively large states from dominating politics at the national level. The act was passed in 1956, however, keeping Uttar Pradesh intact as a single state.
Later, socialists like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Kripalani and others favoured re-drawing of the administrative map of India. But, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then prime minister, supported the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) recommendation of re-forming states on linguistic basis. Dr K.M. Panikkar, in his dissenting note to the SRC report, however, opposed linguistic states and favoured formation of a state of west Uttar Pradesh.
Later, in 1972, fourteen MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh state assembly moved an unsuccessful resolution to divide the state into three units (Braj Pradesh, Awadh Pradesh and Purvi Pradesh).
Advocates of New State
During the 1975–77 Emergency, Sanjay Gandhi almost succeeded in carving out a new state of western Uttar Pradesh. The new state was to include parts of Haryana too with Meerut as its capital. BSP-led UP government had on 23 November 2011, passed a resolution in the state assembly for creating Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Pashchim Pradesh out of UP. The resolution was forwarded to the UPA government at the Centre but no action was taken. After, Congress working committee passed a resolution to recommend formation of a new state of Telangana on 31 July 2013, demand for Harit Pradesh gained momentum. Sh. Jairam Ramesh suggested that UP's reorganisation was necessary as it is difficult to run such a big state effectively. "Purely from an administrative point of view, a state of over 200 million people, 75 districts, over 800 blocks...It's just not governable. It is my personal view...Its politics is a separate issue," he said. Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan said Western Uttar Pradesh should become a separate state and Meerut should become its capital. The population here is eight crore and the high court is 750 kilometres from here. So this demand is completely justified.
Capital
Meerut has been constantly proposed as the capital of the state by B.R Ambedkar, Mayawati, Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan.
While west UP accounts for 51.71% of state GDP, the lagging Bundelkhand accounts for just 5.22%, though it has risen from 4.95% bringing some solace to the government. Western Uttar Pradesh has been generating most revenues for the government and not given enough representation in the UP government and gets only 18% of the state's budget is spent on developing west UP while contributing more than 51.71% to the state.
Even the state capital Lucknow is more than 500 kms away. More than 5 capitals of various other states are closer to western Uttar Pradesh. Residents of Western Uttar Pradesh have also been long demanding high court bench from Allahabad Highcourt. Almost 54% of all cases reaching the High Court originate from the 22 districts of Western UP. Still western Uttar Pradesh does not have a High Court. People have to travel 700 kms away to Allahabad for hearings. Infact 6 high courts (Shimla, Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nainital, Jammu) from other states are closer than Allahabad from western Uttar Pradesh.
Some have also suggested Agra and Budaun as a proposed capitol, but it has been constantly rejected by economists as it is on Western Uttar Pradesh's southern border. Most of the economic gains would go to adjoining districts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Geography
Soil conditions
Western Uttar Pradesh's soil and relief has marked differences from that of the eastern part of the state. The soil tends to be lighter-textured loam, with some occurrences of sandy soil. Some loess soil is continuously deposited by winds blowing eastwards from Rajasthan's Thar Desert.
