Officials Plan Reorganisation Of Commissionerates

According to information shared among police circles, the plan is to have six zones under the Hyderabad commissionerate and three each under Cyberabad and Rachakonda limits. The reorganisation aims to align police jurisdictions with changed civic boundaries and address administrative and policing requirements in growing urban areas.

As part of the proposal, the Shamshabad and Rajendranagar zones are likely to be brought under the Hyderabad commissionerate, that would bring the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport under the city police limits. Currently, the airport falls under the Cyberabad commissionerate.

Major changes are also anticipated within Cyberabad and Rachakonda police zones.
Police officials are reportedly planning on the creation of a Future City police commissionerate by combining the Maheshwaram zone, Shadnagar and Chevella. In addition, Yadadri district may be made a full-fledged police district, as per proposals.

Officials said discussions were at a preliminary stage and that there would be clarity only after formal government orders were issued. No official communication or notification has been released by police headquarters so far.

“There is work happening on the ground level for reorganisation, although we have not been made fully aware of the changes yet,” a field level officer from the police department told Deccan Chronicle.

According to officials, such a reshuffle, if approved, would aim to improve response times and ensure more focused policing in urban areas.

Official records of the Hyderabad city police show that a police commissionerate system existed as early as 1847, during the reign of the Nizams. The city was administered by a Kotwal-e-Balda (City Kotwal), who functioned as the head of policing and reported directly to the Nizam.

Following the annexation of Hyderabad state in 1948, the city police continued to function under a commissionerate system, now within the Indian Union. After the formation of united Andhra Pradesh in 1956, Hyderabad city police was integrated into the state police framework but retained a Commissioner of Police due to the city’s size and administrative importance.

For several decades, the basic commissionerate structure remained intact, with minor adjustments at police station and sub-division levels. In 1987, Hyderabad city police underwent a full-scale reorganisation of zones and divisions, at a time when the city’s population was reportedly around 25 lakh.

In April 2002, Hyderabad city police carried out another restructuring of its zones and sub-divisions after nearly two decades, primarily to cope with population growth and expanding urban limits. The city, however, continued as a single commissionerate. A year later, in 2003, the government carved out the Cyberabad Metropolitan police commissionerate, covering the IT corridor and western and southern outskirts, which were known to be developing parts of the city during that time. This marked the first major break from a single-city policing model and made Cyberabad one of the largest commissionerates in the country.

After the formation of Telangana in 2014, Hyderabad became the common capital, with policing shared across expanding urban and peri-urban areas. As Cyberabad grew bigger in size, the state government decided to split it. On June 23, 2016, through a Home Department government order, Cyberabad was bifurcated into Cyberabad West and Cyberabad East. Three months later, on September 22, 2016, Cyberabad East was officially renamed the Rachakonda police commissionerate.

The city currently functions with the tri-commissionerate system – Hyderabad city, Cyberabad and Rachakonda.

GFX: A recap:

1847: Commissionerate-style policing introduced by the then Nizam government under the Kotwal-e-Balda to control a growing “walled” city and maintain night-time security.

1948: Hyderabad state annexed after police action; city police brought under the Indian Union while retaining the commissionerate model.

1956: Andhra Pradesh formation: Hyderabad city police continued as a commissionerate as the city became the state capital, requiring centralised urban policing.

1987: Hyderabad police reorganisation: Zones and divisions reorganised to cope with population growth and urban expansion.

2003: Cyberabad carved out: New commissionerate carved out to police fast-growing IT corridors and outskirts as Hyderabad expanded beyond city limits.

2016: Split of Cyberabad: Commissionerate bifurcated due to its vast size and workload; Rachakonda commissionerate created to improve response.

2023: City police rejig: First major restructuring in 35 years, adding new zones and specialised wings to address cybercrime, narcotics and urban density.

2025: Proposed, post-GHMC reorganisation: Fresh reshuffle under consideration following GHMC expansion, aimed at coordinating police jurisdictions with new urban local bodies.