Berhampur, Nov. 27: Civic polls are 10 months away and a few councillors of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation are upset over the delimitation exercise.

These councillors are angry as figures of 2001 census are being used for the delimitation exercise while those of 2011 are being ignored.

“We are considering a proposal formulated by experts to increase the number of wards from 37 to 40. The maximum population in each ward would be 7,000 and it is mandatory for the formation of a municipal corporation,” said Shiva Shankar Dash, mayor, Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC).

However, the councillors feel if 2011 census figures are taken into consideration, the civic body would have 43 wards.

However, the councillors would not like to admit that delimitation and reservation of 50 per cent seats for women will radically alter the existing political scenario and this has made them jittery, sources said. The mayor, who represents ward No. 25, said the population of his constituency was more than 7,000.

“Some of my traditional vote pockets have been included in the neighbouring wards. But I don’t mind because the delimitation process would help to develop Berhampur to a great extent,” he said.

Councillors, including Ashok Kumar Shukla (ward No. 3), Pramod Kumar Jena (ward No. 4) and Bhagaban Gantayat (ward No. 33), have been vociferous in their opposition to the delimitation proposal.

“The delimitation proposal is arbitrary and unconstitutional. The areas are being redrawn only to harass some of the councillors,” Ashok Kumar Shukla said.

According to 2001 census figures, the total population of Berhampur Municipality, which has an area of 37.09 sqkm, is 3.07 lakh.

However, on January 1, 2009, the state government declared Berhampur as the state’s third municipal corporation.

In 2011, the city’s population rose to 3.56 lakh. If there is one ward for every 7,000 people, the corporation would have 43 seats and not 40 as has been planned.

In the gazette notification, the state revised the limits of Berhampur by including several panchayats into its fold.