Delhi’s map redrawn: 11 districts become 13 in historic administrative overhaul to streamline services

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In a significant administrative restructuring aimed at improving governance, the Delhi government has approved a plan to reorganise the National Capital Territory’s 11 revenue districts into 13.

The move, sanctioned with a budget of Rs 25 crore, is designed to align district boundaries with the city’s 12 municipal zones and the jurisdictions of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board.

According to a Delhi government spokesperson, the reform is intended to “significantly speed up delivery of public services and ensure seamless coordination for land records, property registration, civic services and grievance redressal for citizens.” Officials stated that a gazette notification formalising the new boundaries will be issued within a fortnight, with the reorganisation slated for completion by the month’s end.

The three new districts created are Outer North, Central North and Old Delhi, The Indian Express reported. Furthermore, areas previously under Shahdara district have been redistributed to the Northeast and East districts.

The restructuring directly addresses a long-standing issue highlighted by officials: the misalignment between municipal and revenue boundaries that often confounds citizens seeking services.

A senior official reportedly explained that a resident of Mayur Vihar, for instance, could face jurisdictional confusion if land-related work involved both the Shahdara MCD zone and the East revenue district, forcing them to shuttle between offices.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the decision as a “historic” step towards modernising Delhi’s administration for the 21st century. She emphasised that in a vast metropolis, “smaller, balanced and administratively empowered districts are necessary for improved coordination of services, faster grievance redressal and effective monitoring.”

A cornerstone of the overhaul is the establishment of mini secretariats in every district. These one-stop centres will house various citizen-facing offices, including revenue and sub-registrar offices, consolidating services under a single roof. To support this, the number of sub-divisions will increase from 33 to 39 and sub-registrar offices will nearly double from 22 to 39.

Echoing the government’s rationale, Kumar Abhishek, the District Magistrate (North), was cited by The Indian Express as saying that the step ensures homogeneity in administration. “This is a step towards making boundaries of all departments co-terminus so that there is homogeneity in administration, administrative as well as citizen convenience,” he said, noting that district magistrates will play a critical role in monitoring and coordination.

The move has garnered support from former bureaucrats familiar with Delhi’s administrative complexities. Former Delhi Chief Secretary and MCD Commissioner Rakesh Mehta pointed out the practical benefits of the mini secretariat model.

He noted that bringing services “from birth to death” — such as marriage registration, building permits and common area disputes — into one location would be a major convenience. He added that it would facilitate resolution of issues requiring input from multiple stakeholders like the district administration, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the police.

The restructuring represents a concerted effort to untangle the bureaucratic web that has long characterised governance in Delhi. By synchronising the maps of revenue and civic authorities, the government bets on a more streamlined, less confusing and ultimately more responsive administrative framework for its nearly 20 million residents.