The Telangana High Court is set to continue a crucial hearing on Tuesday regarding a legal challenge against the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) preliminary notification for redrawing ward boundaries. The petition, filed by a resident of Chikkadpally, alleges arbitrary demarcation that ignores significant natural and historical landmarks.
Petitioner's Core Arguments Against New Boundaries
C Vinay Kumar, the petitioner, has raised strong objections to the proposed merger of certain houses from the existing Ramnagar division, now proposed as Bagh Lingampally division-164, with the neighboring Adikmet division-163. He argues that the new boundary is fundamentally flawed. According to his petition, the GHMC plan disregards a 30-foot-wide drain (nala) and a 100-foot-wide major road, which have historically served as the clear and natural dividing line between these areas.
"This is only a political drama. Not done scientifically," Kumar contended in court. He emphasized that the significant physical landmarks, which should have been the primary basis for demarcation, were completely ignored by the civic body. The petitioner also stated that he had submitted formal objections on December 12, 2025, but these were allegedly overlooked by the GHMC.
Potential Consequences and Public Inconvenience
The petition outlines several serious repercussions of the proposed delimitation. Kumar argues that forcing residents to change their official door numbers and update countless documents would be a massive bureaucratic hassle. This disruption would particularly affect Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who own property in the area.
The potential fallout includes:
- Confusion in property tax assessments and records.
- Possible misdirection of emergency services like ambulances and fire engines due to address confusion.
- Risk of diversion or misallocation of local development funds intended for the original community.
Renaming Row and Court's Initial Observation
Beyond the boundary issue, the petition also challenges the GHMC's move to rename the division from Ramnagar to Bagh Lingampally. Kumar claims this sudden change could create unnecessary confusion among residents and harm the existing community harmony and identity associated with the Ramnagar name.
The bench of Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, which heard the matter on Monday, has posted the case for further hearing on Tuesday. The judge made a prima facie observation that the contentions raised by the petitioner are likely to be rejected. However, the court will allow a full hearing to consider all arguments before issuing a final order on the contentious delimitation exercise.
