Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Government yesterday announced creation of 23 new talukas from the existing 225 ones, taking the total number of these district sub-units in the state to 248.

Making the announcement here, the government spokesperson Nitin Patel said the creation of new talukas will speed up the process of development and ensure better access of public and administrative services to the people.

He said the Revenue Ministry has made all necessary arrangements for formation and administration of the new talukas.

The decision comes in the wake of creation of seven new districts on August 15. The government had then said that the process of forming new talukas was underway. The new districts – Aravalli, Botad, Chota Udeipur, Morbi, Mahisagar, Gir-Somnath and Dwarka – have became functional.

The creation of new districts and talukas was a result of announcements made by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last year during his month-long ‘Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra’ in run-up to the December Assembly polls.

Modi had then promised that these districts and talukas would become functional by January 26, 2013. However, the process was delayed.