HYDERABAD: With uncertainty continuing over the future of the recently expanded Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the proposal to trifurcate the civic body has increasingly resembled a suspense-filled political drama, with new twists emerging almost every day over the past few months.
Despite repeated indications through unofficial channels that GHMC would be reorganised into three municipal corporations, there is stoic silence from the state government.
Last month, 20 peripheral municipalities and seven municipal corporations were merged into GHMC, doubling the number of wards from 150 to 300 and expanding its geographical area from 650 sq km to 2,050 sq km.
While the state government has at times suggested that the expanded GHMC would function as a single civic body, discussions at other moments have centred on the possibility of trifurcation. However, there has been no official confirmation or denial so far, adding to the uncertainty.
Amid this backdrop, the state government’s recent notification on election reservations has triggered fresh confusion. By treating all 300 wards as part of a single GHMC while announcing reservations, the government appeared to signal continuity rather than division. The notification, issued last Tuesday, covered reservations of wards and offices of chairpersons and mayors for STs, SCs, BCs and women in 121 municipal councils and 10 corporations, including GHMC.
According to the notification, the reservations were finalised in accordance with the 2011 Census, taking into account the report of the Dedicated Commission on reservations for BCs, as well as reports from the director of Municipal Administration. The reference to 300 wards under GHMC led observers to believe that the corporation would continue as a single entity.
Even as some argue that GHMC could still be trifurcated after the current council’s term ends on February 10, questions are being raised over the timing of the reservation announcement. With only about three weeks remaining for the present council, critics are asking why reservations were not notified separately for three corporations if trifurcation is imminent. The continued reference to GHMC as a single body with 300 wards has only deepened doubts.
Some officials suggest that while reservations have been notified now, a fresh notification could be issued later if GHMC is split into three corporations. In such a scenario, concerns have been raised about the fate of the current reservation framework, particularly if the existing 300 wards fall within the same corporation.