BMC plans to redraw boundaries of Mumbai’s 24 administrative wards

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now planning to redraw the boundaries of its 24 administrative wards.

According to a source, the proposal is likely to be discussed in the next meeting of group leaders in the civic body before forwarding it to the general body. The source said that this decision has received flak from opposition corporators as the plan splits the iconic Five Gardens at Matunga across two wards — F north and F south.

The proposal has listed the shifting of several electoral wards to maintain a balance and to provide better administrative services. A committee comprising three deputy municipal commissioners (DMC) and chief engineer, development plan, was instructed to study the possibility of a reshuffle.

The proposal looks at bringing in parity by having a minimum of 8 electoral wards and a maximum of 11 electoral wards in one administrative ward, instead of the existing 2 (B ward) electoral wards in one administrative ward and 18 (P north) electoral wards in another.

Ravi Raja, Congress group leader, said, “While redrawing the boundaries, the Five Gardens has been split across electoral ward number 177 and 178. The proposal has also shifted electoral ward 178 to F south, which will in effect mean dividing the responsibility of the gardens.”

According to a source, it is only A ward, comprising Colaba, Nariman Point, Churchgate, Fort and CST, which remain untouched while redrawing the boundaries and will continue to have only three electoral wards.

However, B and E wards that includes areas of Masjid and Byculla will be merged together to form one ward. C and D that includes Kalbadevi, Marine Line, Malabar Hill, Peddar Road, Girgaum also will be merged together. However, P north that includes Malad East and West and has a majority of the city’s population will be split into two wards – P west and P east (P north to be changed to P west). The same has been done with L ward, that comprises areas such as Kurla.

This proposal was to be discussed on April 1, but was not taken up for discussion. It is likely to be discussed soon as it is already on the agenda of the group leaders. Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party group leader, said, “We are not in the favour of this proposal.”

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Boundaries of 24 electoral wards to be redrawn