Stiff resistance from villagers, opposition from corporators of all political parties and legal hurdles have finally forced the state government to cancel the merger of 36 surrounding gram panchayats with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
The notifications that merged the 36 gram panchayats were issued between July and September 2013. The villages that were de-notified were Shamshabad, Kothwalguda and Satamrai in Shamshabad mandal, Jawaharnagar in Shamirpet mandal, Gandipet, Kokapet, Vattinagulapalli, Neknampur, Puppalguda, Khanapur, Hydershakot, Manchirevula, Narsingi, Bandlaguda Jagir, Kistampur, Himayatsagar and Peeramchervu in Rajendranagar madnal, Pragatinagar, Kompally and Nizampet, Bachupally and Dulapally in Qutubullapur mandal, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Medipally, Parvathapur, Chengicherla in Ghatkesar mandal, Nagaram and Dammaiguda in Keesara mandal, Gundlapochampally in Medchal mandal, Jillelguda, Pahadisharief, Meerpet, Jalpally and Kothapeta in Saroornagar mandal and Kalwancha in Hayatnagar mandal.
Tuesday’s GO issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department said the AP High Court in its order on September 26, 2013, passed interim suspension orders on the proposed 36 gram panchayats on the ground that the rule 12(2) of AP Gram Panchayats (Declaration of villages) Rules 2007 has not been followed while merging gram panchayats with GHMC by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department. The allegations were that some elected panchayats were not consulted before the merger decision was taken while in other cases, the merger notification was issued before notifying the villages as panchayats.
In view of the court’s observations and certain other lapses noticed by the government, the earlier notifications merging the 36 panchayats stand cancelled, GO No 12 said.
The villagers were against the merger as they felt that they will be burdened with more taxes when they come under the GHMC and also because they were not consulted. They were backed by the local leaders. Meanwhile, corporators cutting across party lines protested the merger move at the GHMC council on the grounds that the corporation was acquiring fresh areas without first developing the core areas already under its jurisdiction. To thwart the merger, the GHMC council unanimously rejected the proposal to add new villages and directed the commissioner not to release funds and sanction works for the proposed new areas that would come under the corporation.
The manner in which the state government went about the merger also invited flak. After issuing the three merger GOs between July and September 2013, GHMC officials descended overnight on the villages and took the records and other books of the panchayats despite the locals staging dharnas against the move. In some villages, the corporation officials came with police protection to take away the records.
In the meantime, with the bifurcation happening, parties like the TRS criticized the merger move and alleged that the Kiran Kumar Reddy regime was attempting to increase the joint capital area at the expense of the Telangana region. Following all these developments, ministers K Jana Reddy (panchayati raj), M Mahidhar Reddy (MAUD) and D Sridhar Babu (RR district in-charge) held a meet in November and decided to drop the merger proposal.
The RR district has now been asked to prepare proposals for creating new municipalities or nagar panchayats.
The notifications that merged the 36 gram panchayats were issued between July and September 2013. The villages that were de-notified were Shamshabad, Kothwalguda and Satamrai in Shamshabad mandal, Jawaharnagar in Shamirpet mandal, Gandipet, Kokapet, Vattinagulapalli, Neknampur, Puppalguda, Khanapur, Hydershakot, Manchirevula, Narsingi, Bandlaguda Jagir, Kistampur, Himayatsagar and Peeramchervu in Rajendranagar madnal, Pragatinagar, Kompally and Nizampet, Bachupally and Dulapally in Qutubullapur mandal, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Medipally, Parvathapur, Chengicherla in Ghatkesar mandal, Nagaram and Dammaiguda in Keesara mandal, Gundlapochampally in Medchal mandal, Jillelguda, Pahadisharief, Meerpet, Jalpally and Kothapeta in Saroornagar mandal and Kalwancha in Hayatnagar mandal.
Tuesday’s GO issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department said the AP High Court in its order on September 26, 2013, passed interim suspension orders on the proposed 36 gram panchayats on the ground that the rule 12(2) of AP Gram Panchayats (Declaration of villages) Rules 2007 has not been followed while merging gram panchayats with GHMC by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department. The allegations were that some elected panchayats were not consulted before the merger decision was taken while in other cases, the merger notification was issued before notifying the villages as panchayats.
In view of the court’s observations and certain other lapses noticed by the government, the earlier notifications merging the 36 panchayats stand cancelled, GO No 12 said.
The villagers were against the merger as they felt that they will be burdened with more taxes when they come under the GHMC and also because they were not consulted. They were backed by the local leaders. Meanwhile, corporators cutting across party lines protested the merger move at the GHMC council on the grounds that the corporation was acquiring fresh areas without first developing the core areas already under its jurisdiction. To thwart the merger, the GHMC council unanimously rejected the proposal to add new villages and directed the commissioner not to release funds and sanction works for the proposed new areas that would come under the corporation.
The manner in which the state government went about the merger also invited flak. After issuing the three merger GOs between July and September 2013, GHMC officials descended overnight on the villages and took the records and other books of the panchayats despite the locals staging dharnas against the move. In some villages, the corporation officials came with police protection to take away the records.
In the meantime, with the bifurcation happening, parties like the TRS criticized the merger move and alleged that the Kiran Kumar Reddy regime was attempting to increase the joint capital area at the expense of the Telangana region. Following all these developments, ministers K Jana Reddy (panchayati raj), M Mahidhar Reddy (MAUD) and D Sridhar Babu (RR district in-charge) held a meet in November and decided to drop the merger proposal.
The RR district has now been asked to prepare proposals for creating new municipalities or nagar panchayats.
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