In a major administrative development, Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has approved two crucial ordinances that will accelerate the expansion of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The ordinances—pertaining to amendments in the Municipal Act and its extension—were cleared by the Cabinet on November 25 and officially approved on Monday.
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The move paves the way for the merger of 27 municipalities and municipal corporations located within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) into the GHMC, marking one of the largest civic restructuring exercises in the country.
Merger to Create a 2,000 sq km Mega-Municipality
According to official sources, the Telangana government has been working on this merger plan for nearly two years. With the new approval:
- GHMC’s jurisdiction will expand from 650 sq km to nearly 2,000 sq km
- The city’s population under GHMC is expected to triple to nearly 2 crore
- Seven municipal corporations and 20 municipalities spread across the ORR region will be merged
- The GHMC and Municipal Acts have been amended to enable this large-scale expansion
The government has already merged 51 suburban villages into municipalities during the initial phase of expansion.
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Hyderabad to Surpass Delhi and Bengaluru in Civic Limits
Currently, Hyderabad’s municipal area ranks behind Delhi and Bengaluru in terms of size. After the newly approved merger:
- Delhi Municipal Corporation: 1,400 sq km
- Bengaluru Municipal Corporation: 742 sq km
- Greater Hyderabad (post-merger): projected 2,000 sq km
This expansion will effectively make Greater Hyderabad the largest municipal body in India.
To manage the growing administrative structure, the Municipal Administration Department has already reorganized the system by creating outer and extended zones, with two municipal secretaries appointed specifically for these regions.
Government Pushes for Streamlined Urban Governance
With the Governor’s approval, all municipalities located within the ORR boundary will now fall directly under the GHMC. Officials believe this will:
- Improve coordination for large-scale infrastructure projects
- Ensure uniform development across Hyderabad’s fast-growing peripheries
- Strengthen urban planning, sewage management, and road connectivity
- Prepare the metropolitan region for future population and commercial growth
The ordinance approval is expected to fast-track implementation, bringing all suburban and extended areas of Hyderabad under a single, unified metropolitan governance system.