GHMC expansion notified with 57 circles

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in its expanded version, has added 27 more circles, which takes the total number of circles to 57. Each new municipality or municipal corporation appended to the GHMC is being treated as a separate circle, as per the orders issued by GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan on Wednesday.

The orders have also designated the erstwhile municipal commissioners of the 27 ULBs (20 municipalities and 7 corporations), as the deputy commissioners in charge on interim basis. They have been directed to work under the supervision of the nearest zonal commissioners.

Accordingly, Adibatla, Badangpet, Jalpally, Shamshabad, and Turkayamjal circles have been brought under the Charminar Zone, Bandlaguda Jagir, Manikonda, Narsingi, Ameenpur, and Tellapur under Serilingampally Zone, Meerpet, Pedda Amberpet, Thukkuguda, Dammaiguda, Ghatkesar, Peerzadiguda and Pocharam under LB Nagar Zone, Boduppal, Jawaharnagar, Nagaram, and Thumkunta under Secunderabad Zone and Dundigal, Gundla Pochampally, Kompally, Medchal, Nizampet and Bolarum have been clubbed with Kukatpally Zone.

The government has issued an order on Wednesday for expansion of the territorial limits of GHMC to cover the entire city of the Telangana Core Urban Region as defined in the amended GHMC Act, 1955. Three key ordinances passed by the State Cabinet earlier amending the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019 and the GHMC Act, 1955, have been approved by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma to facilitate the expansion of the GHMC up to the Outer Ring Road.

Taking forward the process, Mr. Karnan also issued orders appointing officials of the rank of Deputy Municipal Commissioners, to take over the records from the erstwhile ULBs. The process is to be monitored by the respective zonal commissioners.

As part of the process, the officials have been asked to adhere to certain proformas for recording details such as profile of ULB, staff strength, movable and immovable properties, deposits and investments, tax and non-tax revenue, details of ongoing schemes, liabilities, and layout/building permissions issued during the past three years.

They are also to cease the minutes books of the councils, and to close the existing bank accounts by transferring the account balance to the existing GHMC General Fund. They are also directed to erect a name board of Greater Hyderabad Municipal corporation on the office building and other boards as required.

The expanded GHMC is likely to host a population of over 1.3 crore, and with 40,000-50,000 people in each ward/division, the total number of wards could range anywhere between 280 and 300. The size of each division could also be based on the natural boundaries such as Musi river, major storm water drains, railway lines, colony/community boundaries.

Exercise on the staff allotment or rationalisation is yet to be undertaken. The GHMC is set to inherit 512 employees who are working on regular basis and 6,026 employees on outsourcing basis from the merged ULBs. The Commissioner addressed a letter to the Commissioner & Director, Municipal Administration Department, seeking a list of sanctioned strength and working strength of all employees in the 27 ULBs, including regular and outsourced workers.