New GO: With 80L headcount, GCC may soon have 230 wards

CHENNAI: The State government has issued a notification of new rules for urban local bodies, stating that a Corporation with 80 lakh population should have more than 200 seats. Going by the math, the Greater Chennai Corporation should have a total of 230 wards.

However, an informed Chennai Corporation official said the present council was expanded with 200 wards based on the 2011 delimitation excercise and there is no immediate requirement to increase the number of wards.

"The previous government order mentioned that Chennai Corporation should have 200 wards and thus the councilors should not exceed 200," said a senior GCC official.

The current notification is a recommedation for future and the GCC may be extended with 30 more wards, bifurcating a few congested wards, he added.

In addition, the Chennai Corporation has submitted a proposal to increase the zones from 15 to 24 in the city considering the future demand.

As of 2011, the population in the Greater Chennai Corporation limits was 66,72,103, which now has crossed 80 lakh.

"The census to be carried out in 2021 might happen in June 2023," the official added.