Cabinet Okays Merger of 27 Civic Bodies Into GHMC

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is set for a major expansion, with the state Cabinet on Tuesday approving the merger of 27 urban local bodies (ULBs) located within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits into the corporation.

The move, which marks one of the most crucial structural reforms in urban governance in recent years, will bring 20 municipalities and seven municipal corporations into the GHMC.

While the Cabinet has cleared the merger, the state government will take a decision at a later stage on splitting the enlarged GHMC into four or five major corporations, on the lines of administrative models adopted in other metropolitan cities in the country.

The tenure of the existing GHMC ends on February 10, next, and the government is expected to take a call on holding elections for the expanded entity in early 2026.

Briefing reporters after the four-hour Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat, IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu said that amendments to the GHMC Act and the Telangana Municipal Act would be initiated soon to formally enable the merger.

He said the proposed merger was essential for ensuring uniform development across the rapidly urbanising regions surrounding Hyderabad.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who holds the municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) portfolio, proposed this expansion in July 2024. At present, GHMC covers nearly 650 sq. km. The Chief Minister’s proposal aims to increase this footprint to around 2,000 sq. km by integrating the surrounding ULBs and subsequently restructuring GHMC into multiple corporations to ensure more decentralised administration.

A detailed memo circulated by Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to the state cabinet and to the GHMC laid out the government’s justification for the merger.

The memo pointed out that development patterns in areas falling within and just outside the ORR have become uneven due to fragmented administrative jurisdictions and regulatory disparities.

The Chief Secretary noted that accelerated urbanisation around the city has resulted in several peri-urban pockets suffering from gaps in infrastructure, planning and civic amenities when compared to the core GHMC region.

Highlighting the rationale further, the Chief Secretary stated that unregulated growth in these semi-urban pockets has led to disparities in services such as housing, roads, sanitation and water supply.

A unified administrative structure under GHMC, he said, would ensure equitable standards of development and improve the coordination required for metropolitan governance. He added that integrating the ULBs would support comprehensive master planning, improved transport connectivity, streamlined pollution management and enhanced public investment.

The Chief Secretary also cited statutory provisions allowing the government to revise the territorial limits of GHMC. As per Section 3(3) of the GHMC Act, 1955, the government has the authority to include adjoining municipalities after due consultation.

Section 679-E of the GHMC Act empowers the government to issue directives necessary for planned metropolitan development. The memo stressed the need for uniform and regulated development to prevent haphazard growth, congestion, environmental stress and resource mismanagement. It added that such integration would bolster disaster management capabilities and attract greater investment in infrastructure.

The GHMC Council was formally briefed on the merger proposal during its general body meeting held on Tuesday. GHMC Mayor G. Vijayalakshmi urged corporators to study the proposal thoroughly and provide their inputs, noting that the transition would have long-term implications for the governance of Greater Hyderabad.