THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor has signed two bills for division of wards in local bodies. With local elections due next year, the governor had held up the bill for weeks, saying it was politically motivated. Opposition leader VD Satheesan had written to the governor that the bills were passed without being submitted to the subject committee, without discussion in the assembly and without considering the amendments including those of the opposition and should not be signed.

Before the governor signed the bills, the government had issued an order forming a delimitation commission headed by state election commissioner A Shahjahan. The government had informed the Raj Bhavan that the initial steps are being taken as it will take a year for the division of the wards. The government had started the process of opening an office for the commission, appointing a secretary and deputing the staff before the bills were brought to the Raj Bhavan. It was explained to the governor that all these are administrative measures.

The bill is to add one ward in each local body. One ward for every thousand people is the figure in panchayats. The re-evaluation is based on the assessment that the population has increased. Adding a ward will require re-demarcation of all the wards. New wards will be created by adding areas that are favorable to capture the rule. There will be an increase of 1200 wards with the amendment. 67 crore rupees will be required for 5 years to pay them honorarium. The government's argument is that more people will have the opportunity to enter the local government and through that more people's representation can be ensured in development.