The Telangana High Court on Wednesday refused to put a stop to the ongoing delimitation process for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) wards. However, in a significant move to ensure fairness, the court issued strict directives for transparency, ordering the public release of crucial data.
Court Directs Immediate Public Disclosure of Data
Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, presiding over the case, directed the concerned authorities to place ward-wise population details and authenticated maps in the public domain within 24 hours. This order came during the hearing of petitions challenging the pace and transparency of the delimitation exercise, which is part of the massive merger of 27 surrounding municipalities and corporations into the GHMC.
The judge clarified that once this information is made public, petitioners and citizens would be allowed to submit additional objections. While the petitioners had sought a three-day extension for filing objections, the court granted only two days. This decision was influenced by the deadline of December 31, 2025, set by the Commissioner of Census, Government of India, for the state to complete the delimitation process.
Legal Arguments and the "Humanly Impossible" Claim
Senior counsel L Ravichander, representing the petitioners, argued vehemently that the current exercise was being conducted in undue haste. He termed the process "humanly impossible" and claimed it violated principles of natural justice. His contention centered on the impracticality of a seven-day window for the public to file objections and for authorities to dispose of them.
Another counsel, G Prabhakar, highlighted the rights of ward members from the 27 merging local bodies. He argued that these representatives have an equal stake in the delimitation process and their rights must be protected during this critical restructuring.
State Assures Court of Due Process
Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy, representing the state, informed the court that the delimitation notification followed all legal procedures. He stated that necessary materials were already available and that the authorities had already received and were processing about 3,100 objections from the public.
The Advocate General emphasized the constitutional bar on judicial interference in such delimitation processes and urged the court to dismiss the petitions as premature. He reminded the court that the merger process began in May 2025 and must conclude by the year-end deadline, leaving limited time for procedural delays.
In its ruling, the court acknowledged the constitutional limitations on judicial intervention but stressed that the hearing of public grievances must be a substantive, objective exercise, not a mere formality. The judge firmly rejected the suggestion that the municipal corporation lacked necessary data, asserting it was imperative to furnish specific geographic boundaries and population figures to ensure a fair and transparent process for all stakeholders.
