Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan, corporators, MLAs, MPs and MLCS pose for a photograph at the GHMC office in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) board, amid protests by members from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, approved a proposal to merge the city’s 27 peripheral local bodies located within the Outer Ring Road into a corporation.
A detailed preamble received from the Telangana State Government on the proposed integration of the listed Municipal Corporations and Municipalities was placed before the Council as an item on the table during the General Assembly meeting on Tuesday.
The government cited uneven development patterns, regulatory disparities and increasing urbanization pressures in suburban areas as reasons for the merger, which is expected to ensure uniform planning standards, seamless citizen services and coordinated metropolitan development.
The ULBs to be merged are Pedda Amberpet, Jalpally, Shamshabad, Turkayamjal, Manikonda, Narsingi, Adibatla, Thukkuguda, Medchal, Dammaiguda, Nagaram, Pocharam, Ghatkesar, Gundlapochampally, Thumkunta, Kompally, Dundigapur, Bandangapur, Badrum Jagir, Meerpet, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jawaharnagar and Nizampet.
The government has asked the GHMC to examine the proposal, conduct necessary studies and submit its comments under the applicable provisions of the GHMC Act, 1955.
A total of 51 village panchayats under the Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR) have already been merged with the nearest ULB. The term of office of the respective councils has already ended, after which they are under the leadership of special officers appointed by the government.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Karnan informed that this is the first step towards the merger and the process involves a special board meeting to hammer out the crux of the delimitation of departments.
Mir Zulfiquar Ali, former mayor and MLA from Charminar, vociferously opposed the move along with other MIM legislators and corporators, saying the party would not approve of it.
“We have no information from our high command about the proposal and therefore we are rejecting it,” Mr Ali said as all MIM members rose in protest, prompting Ms Vijayalakshmi to abruptly end the meeting by announcing that all agenda items and those presented were deemed to have been approved.
Another table approved by the council is an allocation of ₹ 2 crore for each corporator for development work at the divisional level. Of this, ₹1 million would be released for works entirely at the discretion of the corporator, while the remaining ₹1 million proposals have to be routed through the minister in-charge of the respective district. Once approved by the Minister of Works, the proposal will be sent to the concerned Zonal Commissioner for approval of funds and bidding process.
During the morning session, there were frequent disruptions in the council meeting, first by BJP members who got into heated arguments with their MIM counterparts over the singing of the national anthem, and then by BRS members who, led by MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav, opposed the Telangana government’s Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation policy. The council paid tributes to late leaders MLA Maganti Gopinath and Santoshnagar corporator Muzaffar Hussain, besides poet Andesri.
Published – 25 Nov 2025 20:11 IST
