More villages to be merged with Karimnagar Municipal Corporation

Stating that the village has been neglected in the field of development, he opined that the village would be neglected further if it was merged into the corporation. Moreover, more tax burdens would be imposed on the villagers.

Karimnagar: More villages are likely to be merged in the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar. Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has written to the Collector, asking to send proposals for the merger of six villages and a municipality located in the ten kilometre radius of the Karimnagar corporation.

Though it is not confirmed, municipal department officials are planning to upgrade the corporation as Greater Karimnagar Municipal Corporation by merging more villages. Besides Kothapalli municipality, Bommakal, Durshad and Gopalpur of Karimnagar rural mandal and Chinthakunta, Malkapur and Lakshmipur of Kothapalli mandal will also be merged in the corporation. In 2018, the number of divisions were enhanced to 60 from 50 by merging eight surrounding gram panchayats such as Alugunur, Sadashivapalli, Padmanagar, Rekurthy, Sitarampur, Arepalli, Theegalaguttapalli and Vallampahad.

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At that time, municipal authorities had also decided to merge Bommakal, Chinthakunta and Malkapur villages. However, the decision was withdrawn following political pressure. Authorities are contemplating to complete the merger process soon since the tenure of the existing council would expire in four months. However, residents of a few villages are opposing the merger proposals on the ground that the percentage of taxes would be increased. A social worker from Bommakal, Galipelli Kumar wanted the Minister to take back his recommendation to the Collector asking her to send a proposal for the merger of Bommakal village in Karimnagar corporation.

Stating that the village has been neglected in the field of development, he opined that the village would be neglected further if it was merged into the corporation. Moreover, more tax burdens would be imposed on the villagers, he said.

Stating that Bommakal was an agriculture-based village, he said farm labourers as well as NREGA workers would lose employment. So, the government should withdraw its proposal by respecting the sentiments of the local people, he demanded.