PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 24 -- In a major administrative overhaul aimed at enhancing urban governance, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a comprehensive revamp of the working structure of all 17 municipal corporations across the state. The move is intended to ensure the availability of quality public amenities and services in proportion to the rapidly growing urban population. Thus, in Prayagraj, the existing eight zones of the Municipal Corporation will now be reorganised into four zones. According to PK Mishra, public relations officer of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC), the reclassification will be based on the revised population benchmark of five lakh per zone. Presently Prayagraj Municipal Corporation is divided into eight zones including Khuldabad, Muthiganj, Katra, Allahpur, Naini, Jhunsi, Phaphamau and Transport Nagar. Officials stated that the restructuring will focus on streamlining administrative processes, improving service delivery, and strengthening infrastructure planning. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to make urban bodies more responsive and efficient in addressing the evolving needs of city residents.The changes will be implemented in phases, with emphasis on manpower optimisation and better coordination among departments. According to a government order dated October 16, 2025, issued by principal secretary P Guruprasad, the municipal corporations have been classified into three categories based on current population projections. The classification aims to reassess both traditional and emerging urban needs, ensuring that civic services and infrastructure keep pace with population growth. As part of the restructuring, each municipal corporation will now be divided into a minimum of three zones. Additionally, a new zone will be created for every 5 lakh residents, allowing for more localised governance and efficient service delivery. As per the new government order, the classification has been made in three broad categories in accordance to respective population count which include six cities having population above 20 lakh, seven cities having population between 10 lakh and 20 lakh while the third category has four cities having population below 10 lakh. In the first category of cities with their revised count of zones are Lucknow (8), Kanpur Nagar (7), Ghaziabad (4), Agra (4), Varanasi (4) and Prayagraj (4). Similarly, the second category of cities with population between 10 lakh and 20 lakh are Meerut (3), Gorakhpur (3), Moradabad (3), Bareilly (3), Aligarh (3), Mathura-Vrindavan (3) and Ayodhya (3) respectively. Further, the third category of cities having population below 10 lakh include Jhansi (3), Saharanpur (3), Firozabad (3) and Shahjahanpur (3). The reclassification has resulted in the creation of a total of 64 zones across the 17 municipal corporations. The order also mentions that Mathura-Vrindavan and Ayodhya, despite having populations below 10 lakh, have been placed in Category 2 due to their significant floating populations, which impact civic infrastructure and service demands....