Telangana Government to Fast-Track Merger of ULBs With GHMC

Hyderabad: The government is fast-tracking the merger of 27 neighbouring urban local bodies (ULBs) into the GHMC ahead of the Centre’s deadline of December 31 for freezing boundaries for the Census. Sources said once the deadline passes, no alteration to administrative limits will be permitted as per the Central government norms.

Official sources said the government is preparing an ordinance to amend both the GHMC Act and the Telangana Municipalities Act to legally enable the merger. The proposal is expected to be placed before the next Cabinet meeting in early December. The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, had granted approval for the merger of GHMC with 27 ULBs on November 25.

The sources said that to ensure the merger is executed in a structured and scientific manner, the state government has assigned the Centre for Good Governance (CGG) the task of conducting a comprehensive study. The CGG will recommend new boundaries for the expanded GHMC, suggest the number of divisions, circles and zones to be created, and propose guidelines for devolution of powers within the reorganised civic structure.

The government is seeking an early submission of the CGG report so administrative preparations can be aligned with the merger timeline. Following the merger, GHMC’s total number of circles will rise from the current 30 to 57. Until the government finalises whether GHMC should be reorganised into three, four, or five divisions, the civic body will operate with the expanded 57-circle structure. The new administrative setup for the enlarged GHMC is expected to come into effect after the current five-year term of the corporation ends on February 10, 2026, officials said.

Sources noted that the urgency stems from a directive issued by the Union home ministry to all states, requiring finalisation of boundary changes before December 31, 2025, so they can be recognised for Census 2027.

In a letter dated June 29, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, instructed chief secretaries of all states to ensure that no changes are made to administrative boundaries, covering municipal corporations, revenue villages, tehsils, sub-divisions and districts, between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, during which the Census operations are scheduled to be conducted.

The letter further stated that any modifications in existing boundaries must be conveyed to state census directorates and the Registrar General of India by December 31, 2025, as the Census requires uniform and stable administrative units. Enumeration blocks are mapped precisely to avoid any duplication or omission during population counting, and the exercise can commence only three months after boundary limits are frozen.