Panel adds 2 wards in Gurugram, govt’s nod awaited

The ad hoc committee members had announced a period of three days during which suggestions or objections would be considered

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) ad hoc committee for ward delimitation finalised 36 wards on Monday, officials aware of the development said on Tuesday. Previously, Gurugram had 34 wards.

Previously, Gurugram had 34 wards. (ANI)

Under the changes made to the Municipal Act by the Haryana government, the administration had prepared a blueprint for ward delimitation in Gurugram, with MCG set to have 36 wards in July, based on population data obtained from family identity cards and electoral rolls.

The ad hoc committee members had announced a period of three days during which suggestions or objections would be considered before a final meeting on July 17, and the draft recommendation was sent to the government for approval on Monday.

The tenure of MCG councillors expired on November 2, 2022, and the next election was scheduled to occur within six months, according to the rules. However, due to ward delimitation delays and legal issues, the exercise could not be completed. According to officials, elections can only be held after the delimitation is completed and approved by the state government.

According to officials, the delimitation is required for the conduct of elections. Nishant Yadav, the deputy commissioner of Gurugram, said that the wards were created using population data obtained through Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP or family identity cards) and electoral rolls. “The wards were finalised after considering all suggestions and objections, and the final draft was sent to the Haryana government for approval,” he said.

According to Yadav, the population of 40,000 in each ward has been considered the average number in the ward-banding of MCG. With a 20% fluctuation, this number will be around 32,000 and no more than 48,000. Yadav said the city has a population of nearly 1,370,000 people, with 98,811 belonging to the Schedule Caste (SC). “The draft was sent after all of the members signed off on the final draft in the meeting,” said Yadav.

“According to the new draft, DLF Phase 1, which was previously proposed for Ward 22, has been moved to Ward 23. Badshahpur, which was previously proposed as part of Ward 12, is now part of Ward 18. Palam Vihar Extension, which was in Ward 4, is now in Ward 3, and Udyog Vihar has moved to Ward 9,” he said. Ward 15 now includes Rosewood City, South City 2, and Nirvana in Sector 49, which were previously proposed to be in Ward 18. Malibu Towne is under ward 11, said officials.

According to GL Sharma, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state vice president for Haryana, all factors were considered during ward delimitation to ensure that all sections of society received equal representation. “The report was submitted to the government, and it took into account election data, census data, and PPP data to ensure that it is balanced and fair and that no eligible voters are left out. The party is ready to fight elections anytime,” he said.

Senior Congress leader and former minister, Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, said the entire delimitation exercise was intended to delay the municipal polls, and the ruling party has no intention to conduct them soon. “The delimitation exercise is discriminatory as the number of seats of Other Backward Class (OBC) and SC community has been reduced. The only purpose of the delimitation exercise was to ensure benefits to the BJP,” he alleged.