GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat govt has begun an exercise to notify nine new municipal corporations from existing municipalities within a fortnight, according to key sources in the state urban development department.
The govt had previously announced this in the 2024-25 state budget.
The municipalities which will get municipal corporation status include Gandhidham, Surendranagar, Porbandar, Vapi, Navsari, Mehsana, Morbi, Nadiad and Anand. This will take the total number of municipal corporations in Gujarat to 17.
Sources in the state urban development department said that apart from nine municipalities, three more towns are likely to be notified as municipal corporations in the coming months.
Sources privy to the development said the administrative processes including prospective appointments of new officials, is being finalized. “The CMO has instructed line departments to complete all necessary formalities. All existing municipalities designated for conversion will be dissolved, with govt-appointed administrators managing operations until subsequent elections. The govt has opted to designate respective district collectors as interim administrators of municipalities that will be notified as municipal corporations,” top sources said.
The govt is expected to commence the process of incorporating all outgrowth areas and neighbouring villages of existing municipalities into limits of the new municipal corporations. “Substantial grants will be allocated in forthcoming budget for the new municipal corporations. Elections for these new municipal corporations are expected to be scheduled for late 2025, concurrent with other municipal corporations,” sources said.
