Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Chitrakoot town is the district headquarters. Chitrakoot district is a part of Chitrakoot Division.The district occupies an area of 3,45,291 km².The district has a population of 990,626 (2011 Census). As of 2011 it is the second least populated district of Uttar Pradesh (out of 71), after Mahoba.HistoryBefore independence of India it was a part of Baghelkhand agency and came under the administration of Baghelas of Rewa. On 6 May 1997, a new district was carved out from the erstwhile Banda district comprising its Karwi and Mau tehsils. The district was initially named as Chhatrapati Shahuji Nagar district. On 4 September 1998, it was renamed as Chitrakoot district.EconomyIn 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Chitrakoot one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Successive governments have often ignored the district's development and hence has become one of the most remote and cut-off districts in India.