Former corporator Leena Arjun Garad has raised objections to the recently declared ward formation of the Panvel Municipal Corporation, alleging that the new boundaries are politically motivated and favor the ruling party while disadvantaging the opposition. She has urged that the entire Kharghar Sector 12 be retained in Ward No. 5 instead of being divided between two wards.
Scientific boundaries ignored
Garad, who earlier represented Ward No. 5, submitted her objection to the municipal commissioner following the notification issued on September 3, 2025. She argued that 70–80 percent of Panvel city has been developed by CIDCO, where sectors were scientifically planned as natural boundaries. These, she said, are the most appropriate for determining ward limits as well as providing civic amenities.
Comparison with 2017 elections
Citing the 2017 municipal elections, Garad pointed out that ward formation was then done systematically based on the 2011 census. In that arrangement, Ward No. 5 included Sectors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 12, while Ward No. 6 consisted of Sectors 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, and 18. However, in the new delimitation, Sector 12 has been unnaturally split in the middle, which she alleged was a deliberate attempt to inconvenience residents.
Sector 12 singled out
Garad further said, “While other nodes such as Kamothe, Kalamboli, Taloja, Roadpali, Navade, Khanda Colony, and New Panvel have largely respected CIDCO’s sector boundaries, only Kharghar’s Sector 12 has been divided.”
She added that including Sector 12’s E Block in Ward No. 6 has split Ward No. 5’s residential area into two parts, which is evident from the ward map.
Demand for correction
The former corporator has requested the commissioner to correct the anomaly and restore the entire Sector 12 to Ward No. 5. She has also demanded that the 2011 census data be made available to her for study at least one day before the scheduled hearing.
