Hyderabad: In a landmark move aimed at reshaping the urban governance landscape of Hyderabad, the Telangana State Cabinet has approved the merger of all municipalities and municipal corporations falling within the state’s Core Urban Region into the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The decision, taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Secretariat, is set to redefine the administrative and developmental contours of the fast-expanding metropolis.
According to the proposal cleared by the Cabinet, as many as 27 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) situated inside the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and those positioned just outside but closely integrated with the city’s growth corridor will now be brought under the GHMC umbrella. This expansion marks the largest administrative restructuring of the Hyderabad metropolitan region since GHMC’s creation in 2007.
The government will soon bring amendments to the GHMC Act and the Telangana Municipalities Act to formalize this new structure. Officials have emphasized that the reorganization is not merely a territorial expansion but a strategic step to end administrative fragmentation and create a unified governance mechanism capable of handling Hyderabad’s massive urban growth.
Areas Proposed to be Included into GHMC
- Pedda Amberpet
- Jalpally
- Shamshabad
- Turkayamjal
- Manikonda
- Narsingi
- Adibatla
- Thukkuguda
- Medchal
- Dammaiguda
- Nagaram
- Pocharam
- Ghatkesar
- Gundlapochampally
- Thumkunta
- Kompally
- Dundigal
- Bollaram
- Tellapur
- Ameenpur
- Badangpet
- Bandlaguda Jagir
- Meerpet
- Boduppal
- Peerzadiguda
- Jawaharnagar
- Nizampet
The merger is expected to transform service delivery by bringing uniformity in civic standards across the extended metropolitan belt. Currently, areas beyond GHMC boundaries often suffer from inconsistent civic amenities, slower infrastructure rollout, and multiple layers of approvals. With a single, centralized authority managing roads, sewage networks, waste management, urban planning, and mobility, residents across the larger region are likely to experience more efficient and coordinated development.
The Cabinet also approved another transformative initiative: a ₹14,725-crore underground electricity cable system for the entire GHMC region. Once implemented, the project is expected to be one of the largest underground power cabling networks in the country, replacing the existing overhead distribution system with a safer, more reliable, and aesthetically modern alternative.
Experts say that this modern underground grid will significantly reduce power disruptions during storms, eliminate risks caused by snapped wires, and lower transmission losses. Additionally, by removing the dense web of overhead cables that frequently clutter city streets, the system will contribute to a cleaner urban skyline and support the government’s broader smart-city initiatives. The project is planned to be executed in phases, allowing systematic transition without major disruptions to existing services.
Urban planners have welcomed the Cabinet’s decision, calling it a “future-oriented intervention” that aligns Hyderabad with the development trajectories of global cities. They note that Hyderabad’s rapid sprawl—driven by IT growth, real-estate expansion, and new economic clusters—has long demanded a unified administrative system capable of addressing challenges such as mobility, drainage, land-use planning, and environmental sustainability. Bringing dispersed municipalities under one corporation will enhance revenue mobilisation and pave the way for comprehensive, long-term metropolitan planning.
The impact of the GHMC expansion will be felt directly by citizens living in municipalities that were previously on the city’s periphery. A single civic body will mean faster project approvals, quicker grievance redressal, and more consistent urban services. For Hyderabad as a whole, the move is expected to reduce duplication of projects, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the city’s appeal to global investors seeking well-governed metropolitan ecosystems.
For the Revanth Reddy government, these decisions represent an important step toward realising the larger framework of Telangana Rising 2047, a long-term vision that seeks to transform the state into a hub of sustainable, world-class urban development. As the state prepares for the high-profile Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025 next month, the Cabinet’s announcements send a strong message of reform, ambition, and administrative readiness.
With the GHMC set for its biggest expansion in nearly two decades and the city preparing for a state-of-the-art underground power network, Hyderabad appears to be entering a new phase of its evolution—a phase defined by integrated governance, modern infrastructure, and an aspiration to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s leading metropolitan cities.