Urban Local Government

Urban local government
 Urban Local government implies the governance of an urban area by the people
through their elected representatives.
 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 provided constitutional status to local
urban bodies.
 Urban local government organizations are constituted according to the size of
the city.
 The forms of urban local bodies are of three types- Nagar Panchayat,
municipality and municipal corporation
Nagar Panchayat
 A Nagar Panchayat is a setup for an area that is charging from a rural to an

urban-type. This is called a transitional area.
 Such an area does not qualify for the setting up of a municipality but is
considered important enough to have a local self-government body.
 This depends upon the population of the area, amount of revenue collected for
local administration, percentage of the population engaged in non-agricultural
activities and economic importance of the area.
 Every state decides for itself the minimum population required for setting up a
Nagar Panchayat. Therefore, this number varies from state to state.
 The members of the Nagar Panchayat depend upon the population of the area.
 It has elected, nominated and ex official members. Elected members are elected
from the ward- the area is divided into as many wards as the number of
members to be elected from the area. A Nagar Panchayat has a term of five years
but it can be dissolved earlier if it is incompetent or if it abuses its authority.
 A Nagar Panchayat looks after water supply, drainage, cleaning of streets, street
lighting, sanitation, health, primary education, organization and management of
fairs, bathing Ghats and slum improvement.
Municipality
 A municipality is also called a municipal committee or municipal council, is local

self-government in smaller towns and cities.
 All citizens of India who are 18 years of age and above can vote in municipal
elections.
 The candidate who wishes to contest the election must be 21 years of age and
above.
 The population of a town and city determines the number of members in the
municipality.
 The city is divided into a number of wards. One member is elected from each
ward.
 Some seats are reserved for SC and ST and one-third of the total seats are
reserved for women.
 Members of the state legislatures and members of parliament elected from the
areas also form a part of the municipal council.
 Some members are nominated for having special knowledge or experience in
municipal administration.
 A municipality is elected for a term of five years.
 It can be dissolved earlier if it doesn't function according to the rules laid down
or is not stable to function effectively.
 Municipalities have meetings at regular intervals.
 The members elect a chairperson who presides over the meetings.
 The head of the municipality is called the commissioner or president.
 A vice-chairperson is elected to take charge in his or her absence,
 Certain permanent members are appointed by the state government or
municipality itself, for example, executive officer, secretary, health officer,
sanitary inspector, municipal engineer, junior engineer, octroi inspector and
education officer.
Municipal Corporation
 Large cities are also divided into wards to elect members to local self-governing
bodies; here too the number of seats depends upon the size of the population.
 All adults can vote and anyone above the age of 21 can contest the election.
 It has elected members who elect their head known as mayor.
 A deputy mayor is also elected to take charge in the absence of the mayor
 The members also elect some experienced and respected people of the city to the
corporation. They are known as elder men.
 Some seats are reserved for SC and ST and one-third of the seat is reserved for
women.
 Members of the state legislatures (Vidhan sabha and Vidhan Parishad) and
members of parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya sabha) elect from the area also
form a part of the municipal corporation.
 Some seats may be filled by a nominated person having special knowledge or
experience in municipal administration.
 The municipal corporation has a chief executive officer known as the municipal
commissioner who is appointed by the state government and he sees the
decision made by the corporation is executed.
 The municipal corporation is elected for a term of 5 years but can be dissolved
earlier if it does not function according to the rules laid down or is not able to
function effectively.
Functions of Municipality and Municipal Corporation

 Maintenance of public hygiene- to arrange for the collection and disposal of
garbage.
 Public health- To build hospitals and dispensaries. To arrange for vaccinations to
protect people against diseases such as smallpox, cholera and tuberculosis. To
prevent adulteration of foodstuff.
 Public convenience- To provide for the vegetable market, food grains markets
and other consumer goods. To provide for and maintain public toilets and
urinals. To provide fresh and clean drinking water and electricity. To ensure
proper lighting of streets.
 Registering birth and deaths- To maintain records of birth and deaths and issue
certificates for the same. To provide for and maintain graveyards, cremation
grounds and electric crematoriums.
 Education – To build and maintain schools, public libraries, museums and zoos.
 Roads and bridges- To build and maintain roads and bridges within the city
limits.
Source of income
 Taxes on goods coming into the city, known as octroi or terminal tax
 House and land tax is known as property tax.
 Business and occupation tax
 Tax on public lighting and hygiene facilities
 Water tax on the amount of water used
 Vehicle tax on motorizes vehicles
 Toll tax for the use of roads and bridges
 Educational tax for educational activities
 Rent collected from buildings owned by urban local bodies
 Fees for issuing birth and death certificates.
 Grants from the state government.

Urban Local Government

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Urban Local Government

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Urban Local Government

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Urban local government

 A Nagar Panchayat is a setup for an area that is charging from a rural to an

 A municipality is also called a municipal committee or municipal council, is local

Functions of Municipality and Municipal Corporation

You might also like