HYDERABAD: The ongoing delimitation exercise to increase the number of wards from 150 to 300 following the expansion of the GHMC has drawn objections from all major political parties, though their responses have differed in tone and intensity.
While leaders of the ruling Congress have sought clarity on the basis of the delimitation, criticism by the opposition BRS and BJP has been expectedly sharper with the two parties alleging arbitrariness and violation of statutory norms.
Leaders from Congress, BRS and the BJP, including MLAs and corporators, met GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan on Monday and submitted representations over the delimitation exercise, which they said was being conducted at the Centre for Good Governance without wider consultation. BRS leaders warned that they would move court if the process continued without addressing the objections.
Reassuring the public representatives, Karnan said their concerns would be taken up at a special GHMC meeting scheduled for Tuesday at the Council Hall, GHMC head office.
The meeting will focus on the merger of 27 urban local bodies into GHMC, the realignment of wards in the Corporation, and the placement of a preliminary notification before the general body for suggestions and objections.
We weren’t consulted about delimitation, allege leaders
Among those who met the GHMC commissioner included MLAs Danam Nagender, Arekapudi Gandhi, T Srinivas Yadav, Kaleru Venkatesh, Mutha Gopal, Marri Rajashekar Reddy, Ch Malla Reddy and T Raja Singh, MLCs Dasoju Sravan Kumar, S Vani Devi and Balmoori Venkat and corporators from the three parties.
Separately, Congress MLAs and corporators also met Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi and the GHMC commissioner. Danam Nagender, Arekapudi Gandhi and Prakash Goud, along with Balmoori Venkat, raised concerns related to the delimitation of their respective divisions. The mayor said members would be given an opportunity to express their views and objections at a special general body meeting, and assured that the inputs would be forwarded to the state government.
The Congress leaders said they had submitted a memorandum seeking clarity on the criteria adopted for the reorganisation of GHMC divisions. They pointed out that the state government had recently issued orders increasing the number of divisions to 300, followed by a Gazette notification outlining the new boundaries. They said complaints had been received regarding certain boundaries and newly created divisions, particularly in the erstwhile GHMC areas.
In contrast, the BRS adopted a more confrontational stand. Former minister and Sanathnagar MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav described the delimitation as arbitrary and unplanned, alleging the absence of a clear policy and consultation. Leading a BRS delegation, he said the exercise lacked transparency, especially in the fixing of division boundaries.
He questioned the urgency in merging civic bodies within the Outer Ring Road limits into the GHMC and doubling the number of divisions without involving political parties or seeking public opinion. Srinivas Yadav also pointed to staff shortages in the existing 150 divisions and questioned the administration’s capacity to manage an additional 150 divisions.
Referring to the proposed allocation of `2 crore per division, Srinivas Yadav said placing control of funds with in-charge ministers undermined the role of corporators.
MLC Dasoju Sravan Kumar alleged that the Congress government was weakening local democratic institutions through the delimitation exercise. He said ward boundaries had been altered without adhering to population norms, geographical balance or technical studies, and warned that the BRS would seek legal remedy if constitutional and statutory procedures were not followed.
The BJP echoed the BRS’s objections. GHMC deputy floor leader Koppula Narsimha Reddy termed the delimitation exercise flawed and alleged that ward boundaries had been redrawn without scientific norms, leading to confusion among residents. He claimed that the exercise had resulted in an increase in wards in the Old City while reducing their number in the merged 27 urban local bodies. This, he alleged, was done to benefit the AIMIM.