HYDERABAD : Greater Hyderabad will soon become a much bigger entity if the state government goes ahead with its plans.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department to explore the possibility of merging seven peripheral municipal corporations and 30 municipalities with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The proposed entity, if approved, is expected to be called the Hyderabad Greater City Corporation.
The municipal corporations for the merger include Nizampet, Boduppal, Meerpet-Jillelguda, Bandlaguda Jagir, Badangpet, Peerzadiguda and Jawaharnagar. Apart from this, around 30 municipalities established in July 2019 may be merged into Greater Hyderabad.
The single corporation thus formed would be divided into East, West, North, and South zones for efficient administration and enhanced citizen services.
To avoid legal challenges, the chief minister has instructed the appointment of special officers immediately after the completion of the tenure of elected bodies in the existing corporations and municipalities. This move is believed to be aimed at seamlessly streamlining the merger process.
Earlier, concerns had been raised about the unequal distribution of funds among the various corporations and municipalities, alongside the GHMC.
MoD approves corridors over Defence lands
The Ministry of Defence has app-roved proposals for construction of elevated corridors on the Hyderabad-Nagpur National Highway and the Karimnagar Rajiv Highway across Defence lands in Hyderabad, paving the way for development of transport routes towards north Telangana
MAUD asked to reevaluate fund allocation to divisions
Some divisions have a population of more than one lakh while others have only about 30,000 people. Disparities in population sizes among different divisions could result in uneven development if funds are allocated uniformly. The chief minister reportedly asked the MAUD to reevaluate fund allocation based on the city’s expansion and focus on critical infrastructure such as roads and drainage in the city outskirts.
It is suggested that the divisions under the newly constituted corporation should be re-divided based on population. Divisions are expected to be formed so that the population is more or less equal with marked boundaries.
About two years ago, the Delhi government merged three municipal corporations in the national capital into a single corporation. Revanth enquired about the manner of the merger in Delhi and the procedure followed there.
Hyd, an ever expanding city
The GHMC was established in 2007 by the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government. The merger involved 12 municipalities, expanding the city’s size from 175 sq. km to 650 sq. km. The municipalities that were merged were LB Nagar, Gaddiannaram, Uppal Kalan, Malkajgiri, Kapra, Alwal, Qutubullapur, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Ramachandrapuram and Patancheru.
In 2018, on administrative grounds, GHMC was divided into six zones — LB Nagar, Charminar, Khairatabad, Secunderabad, Serilingampally and Kukatpally. Each zone was further divided into 30 circles which were subdivided into 150 wards, each with around 35,000 people in 2007.