Do smaller states help in the all-round progress of backward regions?

The announcement of a separate Telangana state has set off a political storm, what with demands for states such as Gorkhaland, Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand, Vidarbha and Harit Pradesh, among others, being raised in different parts of the country.

Though states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Orissa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal were created on the basis of language, the demands for newer states such as Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand have been based on the basis of neglect of the regions concerned.

Some experts say smaller states are easier to govern, but smaller size by itself is no surefire formula for good governance, economic performance, and welfare of the people. For example, despite being a small state, Jharkhand has not conducted panchayat elections in the past 10 years. As a result, it has been deprived of several central benefits. At the same time, states such as Goa, Kerala, and Himachal Pradesh have been successes.

Does the formation of smaller states help in the all-round progress of backward regions?