HYDERABAD:The Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) has directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to complete ward delimitation process and reservation of wards by October 31. As many as 50,000 polling staff would be required and `36 crore would be spent for the conduct of the GHMC polls which are proposed to be held by this yearend. SEC commissioner V Nagi Reddy held a review meeting with municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) principal secretary MG Gopal along with GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar, CDMA commissioner B Janardhan Reddy and GHMC special commissioner Navin Mittal and others here on Monday. He asked GHMC and authorities concerned to see that delimitation and reservation process is completed by October 31. After completion of the processes, SEC requires 45 days to complete direct elections to ward members and indirect elections to Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
After completion of delimitation and reservation process, Nagi Reddy directed GHMC officials to put all the details on the website for the public to view. He also discussed a host of issues for conduct of GHMC polls that include requirement of staff, provision of basic amenities, sanctioning of funds, procurement of electronic voting machines (EVMs), preparation of electoral rolls, appointment of returning officials and other issues. Somesh Kumar informed the SEC commissioner that ward delimitation and reservation of wards is going on at a fast pace and related preparatory and preliminary works have been completed. The process of delimitation of election wards up to 200 in GHMC limits are underway in all the 18 circles. The deputy municipal commissioners (DMCs) of all circles are completing the process of fixing ward boundaries on the basis of 2011 Census population by coordinating with Town Planning officials of preparing the draft proposals on delimitation of GHMC into 200 election wards.