The country’s second municipality, Machilipatnam, constituted in 1866, will become a corporation on July 3 this year. The term of the existing council will expire by then.
Spread over 26.67 square km, the government upgraded the municipality to a corporation in February 2016.
The civic body was in the news in 2011 when its population for the decade (2001-2011) fell from 1,83,370 to 1,70,008.
“Machilipatnam municipality will become a corporation on July 3 as per G.O. 268 of 2016 with the existing area,” Municipal Commissioner P.J. Sampath Kumar told The Hindu .
Elections would be held this year to elect corporators, who would in turn elect the first Mayor for the historical civic body.
In 2016, the civic body proposed the merger of eight panchayats – Gondupalem, Polatitippa, Arisepalli, Pothepalli, Karagraharam, S.N. Gollapalem, Sultanagar, Hussainpalem and Mekavaripalem – and the neighbouring Pedana municipality with it.
“The Municipal Administration Ministry is yet give its nod for the merger proposal” said Town Planning officer P.S.B. Prasad.
Voters’ list
Both Mr. Sampath Kumar and Mr. Prasad said ground was being prepared for the corporation election in the existing jurisdiction. Preparation of the voters’ list was also under way.
At present, Machilipatnam town, the district headquarters of Krishna district, alone is under the jurisdiction of the civic body.
The civic body is expected to witness development once the deep sea port is commissioned. It is targeted to ground the project by 2021.
