Mumbai: Maharashtra govt asks BMC chief to draw ward boundaries

Eknath Shinde. File Pic

The municipal commissioner has received a letter from the state government to start preparation on drawing ward boundaries as per the latest population census for the upcoming civic election. The letter doesn't mention a deadline for the process. This means the electoral ward boundaries will change once again.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government increased the number of wards in Mumbai to 236 from 227 on the basis of the census of 2011. In August this year, the Eknath Shinde-led government restored the 2017 ward boundaries, with 227 electoral wards which was on the basis of the 2001 census. Now the state government has directed over 24 municipal corporations to start the process of forming electoral wards as per the latest census figures.

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"We have received a letter asking us to start the preparation for drawing ward boundaries as per the amendments in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act 1888 and Maharashtra Municipal Act 1949," said an official from the BMC. The letter doesn't mention any deadline or any criteria other than the latest census.

"The most recent census was conducted in 2011 and we received detailed norms on redrawing boundaries of 236 wards. Now we are waiting for the new norms," said a civic body official. The process of drawing ward boundaries generally takes about three months.