The election office of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which published the ward demarcation on its website two days ago, said Sunday there will be no more changes even if citizens make any suggestions or take objections.
“The new ward boundaries have been decided by the State Election Commission. The draft delimitation plan was approved by the SEC on Friday. The boundaries are final now. There will not be any more changes henceforth,” PCMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Balasaheb Khandekar told The Indian Express on Sunday.
Khandekar said the immediate task before them is to update the voters’ list. “We are waiting for the EC’s directives to update the voters’ list as per the ward delimitations,” he said.
He also said 5,684 objections and suggestions were received for the draft delimitation plan of the PCMC.
The final delimitation plan includes approval to changes in boundaries of Charholi, Bhosari, Chikhali, Indrayani Nagar, and Prelok Park (Chinchwad) panels or wards. The changes have been made in 8 prabhags or panels. These panels include prabhags 2, 12, 3, 5, 11, 7, 26, and 27.
Election officials said some parts of a prabhag have been attached to others. “Due to this, there will be changes in voter population of the prabhag which has been attached with a new area,” said an official.
The election officials said as per the final delimitation plan, Talwade-Rupeenagar Prabhag Number One will be the biggest one in terms of population. It has a population of 40,737. Prabhag Number 2 — Chikhli-Morevasti — has the lowest population at 32,161.
Like the Pune Municipal Corporation, PCMC will see the election of three corporators from one prabhag. In the 2022 civic elections, 139 corporators will be elected, which is 11 more than in the 2017 polls. In the 2017 election, four corporators were elected from one prabhag. Officials said there will be 45 prabhags of three corporators and one prabhag will elect four corporators. That prabhag will be in Sangvi which has a population of 46,979.
Officials said the minimum population set for a prabhag is 32,000 while the maximum is 40,000. For Scheduled Caste candidates, 22 seats will be reserved, for Scheduled Tribes three, and 114 seats will be reserved for general category candidates. “The decision regarding reserving seats for SC and ST will be taken through a draw of lots on the instructions of the State Election Commission,” said an official.