Uttaranchal renamed as Uttarakhand

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided that the state of Uttaranchal is to be renamed Uttarakhand.

A proposal to change the name of the hilly state, carved out from Uttar Pradesh in 200o, was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday evening, barely minutes after Parliament had given the go-ahead for changing Pondicherry into Puducherry.

Briefing reporters on the decision taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters that the approval was at the request of the Uttaranchal government.

A Bill, namely, the Uttaranchal (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2006 will be submitted to the President for referring it to the State Legislature of Uttaranchal.

The State Assembly would then pass a resolution expressing its views under Article 3 of the Constitution of India, seeking introduction of the Bill in Parliament.