Political parties in Hyderabad have raised serious objections to the ongoing delimitation exercise for 300 municipal wards, labeling the proposed boundaries as flawed and unscientific. The concerns were voiced during a special general body meeting of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Tuesday, where council members warned of potential administrative chaos and voter inconvenience.
Political Leaders Highlight Glaring Disparities
During the heated discussions, corporators and ex officio members pointed out significant inconsistencies in the newly drawn ward maps. Champapet corporator V Madhusudhan Reddy highlighted a stark contrast, noting that while the Old City area has 70 to 80 wards, outer regions with populations soaring to 70,000 have been allocated just a single ward. He demanded a clear explanation from the GHMC on the criteria used—whether geographical, voter-based, or scientific—for creating these 300 wards.
Ex officio members also cautioned that the exercise failed to account for existing civic infrastructure and staff strength. They argued that merely increasing the number of wards without a proportional boost in manpower and administrative support would severely hamper public service delivery.
'300 Representatives Reduced to 16': MLA Expresses Anger
Medchal MLA and ex officio member Ch Malla Reddy expressed strong displeasure, stating that delimitation has drastically slashed political representation in his constituency. He revealed that the Medchal assembly constituency, which previously had over 300 public representatives including sarpanches and corporators, has now been condensed into merely 16 wards.
Malla Reddy further emphasized the injustice, pointing out that his constituency, with a voter base of 6.8 lakh, houses seven municipalities and three corporations. "The entire city's garbage is dumped in Jawaharnagar, which has just two wards. Similarly, areas like Boduppal and Peerzadiguda have seen a reduction in wards, while other parts of the city gained more," he stated.
Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender also questioned the scientific basis of the ward creation, pointing to uneven ward sizes in densely populated zones. He sought clarity on the action plan, budgetary allocations, and development roadmap for the newly merged areas under GHMC's expanded jurisdiction.
GHMC Commissioner Responds to Over 4,000 Objections
In response to the barrage of criticism, GHMC commissioner R V Karnan informed the body that the civic authority has received more than 4,000 objections and suggestions from residents. He broke down the nature of these complaints:
- Nearly 30% relate to boundary misalignments and colony splits.
- About 15% request the creation of additional wards.
- Roughly 50% pertain to polling station alignments, demand for detailed maps, and objections to the merger with GHMC.
Karnan explained the urgency behind finalizing the ward boundaries by December 31, as it is a prerequisite for conducting the upcoming 2026–27 Census, the first since 2011. He clarified that wards were demarcated using natural boundaries like nalas, major roads, landmarks, and old village survey records.
The commissioner addressed the issue of fewer wards in outer areas, such as Turkyamjal, which has one ward for 60,000-70,000 people. He stated that future population growth was a key consideration. Using Tellapur as an example, he noted its current population of 23,000 is expected to exceed 80,000 in five years, justifying the ward allocation.
To address the concerns, Karnan announced the formation of a review committee comprising the chief city planner, additional commissioner (Elections), and two senior officials. This committee will examine all objections before a final decision is made. He assured that all representations from corporators, ex officio members, and the public would be examined as per rules.
He concluded by noting that GHMC's area has expanded from 650 sq km to nearly 2,050 sq km, making it the largest municipal corporation in India by both area and population, and that zone divisions are yet to be finalized.
