Merger of local bodies with GHMC will impose burden on citizens: BJP

Hyderabad: Telangana BJP senior leader and former MLA N V S S Prabhakar on Tuesday accused the state Congress government of imposing a heavy financial burden on the citizens of Hyderabad following the merger of 27 local bodies into the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Addressing the media, Prabhakar, who also serves as convenor of the GHMC delimitation monitor committee, alleged that the Congress government intends to raise thousands of crores of rupees in loans by projecting the GHMC’s expanded population, which now exceeds 1.50 crore. He criticised the move as unilateral and hasty, claiming that the delimitation draft was prepared without adequate consultation with public representatives and without giving citizens sufficient time to lodge objections.

Prabhakar further alleged that the expansion of GHMC jurisdiction was politically motivated and carried out under pressure from the AIMIM party. He charged that the Congress government was more focused on commissions and contractors than on genuine public welfare.

Highlighting irregularities in the delimitation process, Prabhakar pointed out that voter distribution across divisions lacked uniformity. He noted that earlier divisions in the old city had 15,000 to 20,000 voters, while those in the new city had 35,000 to 40,000 voters. After expansion, however, new divisions now have 50,000 to 70,000 voters, raising questions of fairness. He also criticised the unequal division radius, stating that old city divisions cover two kilometres, new city divisions three kilometres, while newly created divisions extend up to 10 kilometres, which he termed unscientific. Prabhakar concluded that the expansion was politically driven and orchestrated through an understanding between the Congress party and AIMIM’s headquarters, Darulsalam.