BMC hears 277 objections to proposed new ward boundaries

The civic body had issued a notification on August 22, outlining the proposed boundaries and invited feedback until September 4

MUMBAI: The public hearing on the draft ward boundaries for the upcoming BMC elections continued for the second day on Thursday, with the authorities addressing 277 objections and suggestions from citizens. The civic body had issued a notification on August 22, outlining the proposed boundaries and invited feedback until September 4.

July 14, 2020: Iqbal Singh Chahal, takes charge as the New BMC Commissioner on May 8, 2020.

The ward boundary exercise is a critical step in the preparation for the civic elections, and the administration continues to evaluate public inputs before finalising the ward map. The hearings began on Wednesday, when 189 objections were addressed. Over the past two days, a total of 466 suggestions and objections have been heard. The remaining will be taken up on Friday, at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Nariman Point, where the BMC has encouraged citizens to be present in person.

One of the key objections was raised by Pravina Morajkar, former corporator of Ward 169 in Kurla East. Morajkar expressed concerns over the recent reallocation of certain areas to Ward 170, including neighbourhoods such as Nehru Nagar that have traditionally been part of Ward 169.

“My ward boundary near Kurla East station and its number has remained unchanged for many years, but now it has been moved to Ward 170 without any clear explanation from the BMC,” Morajkar said. “Infrastructure such as drainage, water lines, and roads falls under Ward 169, so the logic behind this change is unclear.”

The former corporator argued that such boundary shifts could negatively impact voter turnout, as residents might be discouraged from travelling a further distance to vote in Ward 170. She claimed that some citizens have already expressed reluctance to vote if the changes remained, citing additional travel costs and general confusion on account of voter registration still being linked to Ward 169.

The hearings are being overseen by the government-appointed authorised officer and additional chief secretary (Home) Iqbal Singh Chahal. Representing the BMC were additional municipal commissioner (City) Dr Ashwini Joshi, special duty officer (Elections) Vijay Balamwar, deputy commissioner (Elections and Assessment & Collection) Vishwas Shankarwar, and assistant commissioner (Assessment & Collection) Gajanan Bellale along with other senior officials.