Panchayat secretaries in Ernakulam asked to submit draft proposals on delimitation by Oct.25

Secretaries of grama panchayats in Ernakulam have been directed to submit draft proposals on delimitation to the District Election Officer (District Collector) by October 25.

The officials have to map the size and boundaries of wards as per the 2011 Census figures and the number of dwellings mentioned in the assessment registers of local bodies as on October 1, 2024.

The draft proposals have to be submitted as per the guidelines approved by the Delimitation Commission for redrawing the boundaries of three-tier panchayats, municipalities, and corporations.

District Collector N.S.K Umesh said the training for secretaries of local bodies at the district level was held on Thursday. “Secretaries of grama panchayats have to prepare the report by October 21,” he added.

The last date for submitting the draft proposals to the Delimitation Commission by the District Election Officer is November 16. Any objections or suggestions on the draft proposals published by the Commission should be submitted by December 1.

The guidelines stipulate that boundaries of panchayats, municipalities, and corporations should be demarcated, as far as possible, along geographical features that serve as natural boundaries.

In addition to the geographical features, man-made structures and landmarks such as roads, footpaths, streets, railway tracks, and public institutions also can be considered for fixing the limits.

The guidelines permit slight reduction or increase in the average population of wards for aligning the boundaries along natural features. But such “adjustments” should not exceed 10% of the ward population in the case of grama panchayat, municipality and corporation wards.

Travel considerations of residents, communication facilities, and the ease of establishing polling stations for elections also should be taken into account while determining the ward boundaries, according to the guidelines.

Published - October 04, 2024 08:38 pm IST