2017 civic polls: For delimitation of wards, PMC bets big on Google map
Number of wards will go up from 152 to 160 with the proposed merger of 34 villages.
3 min read
The Commission has directed the PMC to create its base map using geo-referenced satellite imagery.To end political interference during delimitation of electoral wards, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC’s) election department, as per the directions of the State Election Commission (SEC), has undertaken an exercise to map wards through a computerised system on Google map with the base as population.
The strength of elected representatives in PMC is likely to increase from 152 to 160 if the proposed 34 villages are merged in the civic body before the 2017 civic elections.
“The Commission has directed the PMC to create its base map using geo-referenced satellite imagery along with identifying roads, river, nallahs, schools, junctions, gardens, big shopping malls, stadiums and major hospitals, “ said Prakash Borse, deputy municipal commissioner.
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The digitisation of ward boundaries would be done through a software based on the 2011 Census data provided by the civic body, he said.
“The new system would avoid any attempt at political interference in the delimitation process and also check the problems of wards being divided in parts due to geographical conditions,” Borse said, adding that while a change in ward boundaries was inevitable, geographical conditions of an area would also be taken into consideration.
There are around 7,000 groups prepared during the Census and ward boundaries would be digitised with attributes to each group that would include ward number, schedule caste population, schedule tribe population. A Hyderabad-based institute would provide the Google map for PMC at a cost of Rs 11 lakh,” Borse said.
To avoid any problems at a later stage, the PMC has sought to get the Google map for city as well as the 34 villages that are proposed to be merged in the civic body, Borse said.
As per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations (BPMC) Act, there would be 144 electoral wards for the population up to 24 lakh and thereafter, another ward would be added for every one lakh increase in population, he said.
Pune had a population of 32 lakh in 2012, which meant the number of corporators in the PMC would be 152, Borse said, adding this would increase after the 34 villagers are merged in PMC. Going by the rule, the number of elected representatives for civic body would go up to 160 as the civic body estimates the city population to be 40 lakh after the merger of 34 villages.
The PMC elections are scheduled in 2017 and the civic administration has to complete the preparation at least six months ahead of the civic polls.
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