Telangana: Preparation of data for local polls a gigantic task

Hyderabad: The state administration of Telangana has to undertake a gigantic reorganisation in the newly-formed districts and newly-formed municipalities before elections to the civic bodies in the state can be held.

As part of implementing the poll promises of 2014, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ordered the reorganisation of 10 districts into 31 districts. 
Mr Rao, when campaigning for the recently concluded Assembly elections had promised to make Narayanpet and Mulug into districts and after assuming charge as chief minister, he ordered the authorities to commence the process of constituting both districts.

There were 68 municipalities in the state, and another 68 municipalities were created by passing an Act in the legislature in March 2018.

According to the officials of the Commissioner and Directorate of Municipal Administration (CDMA), a total of 136 villages have been merged into five municipal corporations and 36 municipalities across the state. The  reorganisation has started in these municipalities, according to officials of the CDMA and all the concerned municipal commissioners have issued notifications in the respective municipalities inviting advice and suggestions.

According to a memo issued by T.K. Sri Devi, director of municipal administration, the commissioners of municipalities in the state will accept suggestions from local MPs and MLAs from December 13 to 20.

The Municipal Administration Department has decided to distribute the population equally during the division of wards in municipalities and corporations and ensure that the difference in the population should not be more than 10 per cent in the wards. Moreover, the division has to be done according to the 2011 census.

The authorities have decided to begin counting of the number of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women voters in the wards once the reorganisation of the wards is completed by the end of December 2018.

Elections were held to the 69 municipalities and Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Ramgundam Municipal Corporation in July 2014. Elections to the Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads were also held in July 2014 in the erstwhile 10 districts of the state.

In view of the erstwhile 10 districts now being reorganised as Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Hyderabad, Jagtial, Jangaon, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kumuram Bheem, Mahbubabad, Mahabubnagar, Manchirial, Medak, Medchal, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet, Suryapet, Vikarabad, Wanaparthy, Warangal (Rural), Warangal (Urban), and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, the state has decided to also undertake the reorganisation of Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad Territorial constituencies for the elections.