GHMC ward delimitation exercise sparks public outcry

Hyderabad: Apart from political backlash over the doubling of divisions by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from 150 to 300, following the merger of municipalities and the redrawing of boundaries, there is heavy public outcry over the delimitation exercise believed to have been done “in haste” and “without transparency”. People are demanding a thorough review of the entire exercise.

Citizens of various divisions have raised strong objections to the recent delimitation process notification by the GHMC. They also decry the high property taxes already being collected without offering better services, the splitting of colonies, calling it “disorganised and neglectful of public and political representation”.

So far, GHMC has received over 1,400 complaints regarding the boundaries of the new wards being formed.

Recently, the GHMC announced the names of 300 divisions within its newly expanded jurisdiction, which has grown from 650 square kilometers to nearly 2,000 square kilometers. Previously, the corporation had 150 divisions; the rest now come from the merged entities.

In response to the notification, citizens allege that the process was not transparent and had ignored multiple representations, which could therefore lead to administrative chaos in all relevant departments across various divisions. Several residents are concerned that the merger could result in a significant increase in property taxes, water bills, and other charges.

Residents in satellite cities of GHMC fear that the merger may inflate their tax burden. P Ayyappa, a resident of Badangpet, said: “When our panchayat became a municipal corporation, the property tax increased manifold. Now we residents fear the tax will increase again.”

Mohammed Asif Sohail expressed his view that the delimitation process commenced without the release of comprehensive, GIS-based ward maps, boundary descriptions, and population statistics. Furthermore, the authorities have disregarded the inputs of residents' welfare associations and of political representatives from recognised parties. “The maps provided lack clarity regarding population and voter information in the divisions. In the absence of precise details, residents are unable to determine their wards or raise their objections,” said Asif Sohail.

Several other citizens have pointed to potential administrative issues that could arise from the newly established boundaries. “In the same colony, for instance, one side of the road falls under one division, while the opposite side falls under a different division,” he pinpointed. This will also affect police stations, mandals, district jurisdictions, resulting in confusion for both citizens and the authorities.

Residents of various colonies stressed that their colonies should not be taken for granted. As even now, in various areas, some colonies are still governed by multiple police stations, different Commissionerate, mandals, registration offices, and administrative offices, leading to confusion and inconvenience.

Citizens hope that the delimitation exercise would resolve long-standing issues, instead of complicating matters. “Already, they remain unaddressed, said T Gangadhar.

Some citizens have raised serious concerns.

“GHMC already has 150 corporators who are functioning without dedicated development funds for their divisions. When even the existing elected representatives are struggling without resources, how will adding 27 more municipalities ensure real development?” asked Shaik Ahmed.

Recently, the 6,500 members of the United Federation of Residents Welfare Association (U-FERWAS) flagged a confusion over the delimitation and gave a representation to the GHMC and MAUD.