Delhi delimitation panel seeks info on polling booths, population data

The delimitation commission has sought information regarding number of polling booths and population data from Delhi's Chief Electoral Office besides maps of assembly constituencies from GSDL ahead of its meeting to formulate a plan to redraw the wards in the city, officials said on Wednesday.

They said the meeting to chalk out a strategy on carrying out the delimitation exercise will be conducted on Thursday.

An official privy to the development said Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) has been asked to provide digitised maps of assembly constituencies in the national capital for assessment of the area and population residing in each assembly segment.

Similarly, we have asked Chief Electoral Office, Delhi to provide the data regarding polling booths, voters, electoral roll, among others. We have also asked the Directorate of Census to give us population data so that we can determine the average population to be kept per ward in the delimitation exercise, an official said requesting anonymity.

He said the delimitation exercise will be conducted based on the 2011 census data and will be completed in four months.

He also said that the estimated population in each ward after the delimitation is likely to be between 65,000 and 67,000.

The Centre had earlier this month set up a three-member panel for a fresh delimitation of the municipal wards in Delhi that will pave way for the first civic polls since the reunification of the city's three corporations.

The panel has three members Vijay Dev, the Delhi State Election Commissioner who will be its chairman; Pankaj Kumar Singh, the joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; and Randhir Sahay, the additional commissioner of MCD.

The official said the Ministry of Home Affairs had on July 22 through an order informed the delimitation commission that the number of wards in Delhi would be 250 and the redrawing of wards should be done accordingly.

The three erstwhile municipal corporations comprised 272 wards 104 each in the North and South corporations, and 64 in the East.

Delhi has 70 Assembly segments.

Delimitation in Delhi was last conducted in 2016 and the number of wards was kept at 272 with each having an average population of 60,000 considering a variation of 10 to 15 per cent.