The Town Planning officials of the Greater Visakhapanam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is inviting suggestions and objections on the delimitation of municipal wards from 72 to 81.
The boundaries and details of the delimitation has been published in the Andhra Pradesh gazette and are available in the GVMC main office, government offices and the zonal offices.
“Residents can submit suggestions and objections on the delimitation exercise within seven days to the Commissioner,” GVMC Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan said in a statement on Tuesday.
The delimitation exercise was carried out following the GO 311 issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department in 2017.
The exercise was undertaken basing on the 2011 census with the population in the limits of GVMC (17,30,320), Anakapalle (86,612), Bhimunipatnam (54,865) and the five panchayats between Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle (9,899), the total coming to 18,81,686.
The first 63 wards in the limits of the civic body would account for 10 lakh population and the remaining for 18.
Municipal elections
Elections that were due to the GVMC in 2012 after the term of the then elected body expired have not been held till now.
The present delimitation exercise was carried out with the State Election Commission intending to conduct elections in the next few months.
However, the five villages surrounding Bhimunipatnam were proposed to be merged with the GVMC in July 2013. But by that time panchayat elections were over and the new body opposed the move tooth and nail and moved the court of law.
With the current move, officials of the Panchayat Raj Department organised a hearing last week to elicit the views of the residents.
Public hearing
The residents of Chepaluppada responded positively while those from Kapuluppada, K. Nagarapalem, Nidigattu and J.V. Agraharam opposed the merger.
