VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) will now have 120 wards, up from the existing 98, with the State government finalising the delimitation and notifying the revised ward boundaries.
The government issued a Gazette notification on September 14 detailing the final boundaries and areas covered by the 120 wards. The final notification followed a preliminary exercise during which objections and suggestions were invited from the public.
Under the revised structure, the Bheemunipatnam zone comprises wards 1 to 5, while the Madhurawada zone covers wards 6 to 11 and ward 120. The East zone comprises wards 12 to 29, South zone wards 30 to 45 and North zone wards 46 to 62.
The West zone has wards 66 to 82 and Gajuwaka wards 83 to 101. The newly structured peripheral zones include Aganampudi with wards 102 to 106, Anakapalle with wards 107 to 112 and Pendurthi with wards 113 to 119.
The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has directed the publication of ward-wise photo electoral rolls based on the revised boundaries on September 22. The rolls will be prepared using January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date and the latest Assembly electoral rolls.
The respective GVMC Zonal Commissioners will prepare and publish the ward-wise photo electoral rolls in their jurisdictions. GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg advised the citizens to verify their details and check the revised ward boundaries after the rolls are published.
The finalisation of the new GVMC boundaries also brings into focus the debate over the proposed inclusion of Bhogapuram in the corporation. Bhogapuram, however, has not been included in the newly notified 120-ward GVMC.
The proposal to bring Bhogapuram under the GVMC had gained attention following the commencement of operations at the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport.
With the airport expected to accelerate urbanisation and economic activity in the region, there had been a push to integrate the airport region with the expanding Visakhapatnam urban area.
Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao had favoured bringing Bhogapuram under the GVMC, viewing its proximity to the city and the airport-led development as factors supporting the move.
However, Nellimarla MLA Lokam Naga Madhavi has opposed an immediate merger, arguing that Bhogapuram still needs time to develop. Speaking on multiple occasions, she called for the proposal to be deferred until the next elections.
Madhavi’s argument is that the opening of the airport is only the beginning of the region’s development and that, apart from the airport, substantial development is yet to take place across her constituency. She maintained that Bhogapuram should first be allowed to develop around the airport and that the impact of the emerging commercial, industrial and real estate activity should be assessed before altering its civic jurisdiction.
The differing views of the two MLAs have given a political dimension to the question of expanding the GVMC towards Bhogapuram.