VISAKHAPATNAM:  The municipal administration department has decided to increase the number of wards of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) from the present proposed 81 wards to 98 with 19,410 people for each ward. The GVMC has been told to complete the entire process reorganisation of wards latest by  January 7 next year.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana told GVMC Commissioner G Srijana that a GO will be issued and asked the civic body to begin the exercise. The GO could not be issued on Wednesday in view of the holiday for Christmas and it will be issued on Thursday, it is learnt.

The GVMC has earlier completed the exercise of delimitation of wards from 72 to 81. The number of wards has been increased as per population—63 wards for 10 lakh population and 18 wards for 50,000 people each.  It took up delimitation of wards as per 2011  population census. The proposals have then been submitted to the ministry.

Following a fresh directive from the minister, the GVMC town planning department officials have already begun the exercise to identify the boundaries of the new wards and delimitation of the wards. As per revised delimitation proposals, the officials plan to form 90 wards for 15 lakh population and for eight wards for remaining four lakh people with 50,000 in each ward. 

The revised delimitation proposals will be displayed at ward secretariats for seven days till January 4 from Friday. After receiving objections and suggestions from the people, the GVMC officials will take up the survey and prepare the draft notification on January 7.

The draft proposals will be sent to the State government through Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA), which will publish gazette notification on  delimitation of wards.

Elections for GVMC most probably will be in the first phase of elections to local bodies in February third week.