Polity Notes – For W.B.C.S. Examination – Functions Of The Panchayats.

The major functions of a model local government can be grouped into following six categories.Continue Reading Polity Notes – For W.B.C.S. Examination – Functions Of The Panchayats.

– Governance and regulatory

– Agency functions

– Civic Services

– Economic Development

– Social justice

– Environment and Natural Resource Management

Article 243G, read with the Eleventh Schedule, stipulates that State Legislative may by law endow the Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be required to enable them to function as institutions of self-government. Such laws may also provide for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats for the preparation and implementation of plans for economic development and social justice as may be entrusted to them.

Municipal Government: In India territory, municipal governance has been formed since the year 1687, with the creation of Madras Municipal Corporation, and then Calcutta and Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1726. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, almost all towns in India had experienced some form of municipal governance. In 1882 the Viceroy of India, Lord Ripon’s resolution of local self-government positioned the democratic forms of municipal governance in India.

In 1919, a Government of India act amalgamated the need of the resolution and the powers of democratically elected government were formulated. In 1935, another Government of India act brought local government under the purview of the state or provincial government and specific powers were given.

To describe, municipal governments are local authorities created by the provinces and territories to offer services that are best managed under local control. They generate profits (largely from property taxes and provincial grants) and impact people’s daily lives in many ways, from garbage pick-up and public transit to fire services, policing and programs at community centres, libraries and pools. In India, Municipal Corporations or City Corporation or Mahanagar Palika or Mahanagar Nigam are urban local government that works for the development of a city, which has a population of more than one million (ten lakh). The rising population and urbanization in various cities of India were in need of a local governing body that can work for providing necessary community services like health care, educational institution, housing, transport etc. by collecting property tax and fixed grant from the State Government.

According to the 1991 Survey of India, there were 3255 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the country; classified into the four major categories of:

– Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam)

– Municipality (municipal council, municipal board, municipal committee) (Nagar Parishad)

– Town area committee

– Notified area committee

The municipal corporations and municipalities are representative bodies, while the notified area committees and town area committees are either fully or partially nominated bodies.

Role of municipal government are as under:

1. To establish justice.
2. To insure domestic tranquillity.
3. To provide for the common defence.
4. To promote the general welfare.
5. To secure the blessings of liberty.

According to the Constitution of India, 74th Amendment Act of 1992, the latter two categories of towns are to be designated as municipalities or Nagar panchayats with elected bodies. Until the amendments in state municipal legislations, which were mostly made in 1994, municipal authorities were organised on an ultra vires (beyond the authority) basis and the state governments were free to extend or control the functional sphere through executive decisions without an amendment to the legislative provisions.

After the 74th Amendment was enacted, there are three categories of urban local bodies:

– Mahanagar nigam (municipal corporation)

– Nagar palika (municipality)

– Nagar panchayat

In India, a Municipal Corporation is known to public by different names which varies from state to state (owing to the official language of the state or due to other regional language variations) all of which are translated to “Municipal Corporation” in English, these names including Nagar Nigam (in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana), Mahanagar Palika (in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka), Pouro Nigom (in West Bengal), etc. The term Nagar Palika Nigam is used in Madhya Pradesh for Municipal Corporation. In Tripura, the sole Municipal Corporation of the city of Agartala is called Agartala Pur Porishod in Bengali. Also, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation is typically called by the name “Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan”. The comprehensive structure of these urban bodies varies from state to state, as per the laws passed by the state legislature (Vidhan Sabha) but the basic structure and function is almost the same. Under the panchayati raj system, it interacts directly with the state government, though it is administratively part of the district it is located in.

Each Municipal Corporation has a committee that comprises of a Mayor with Councillors. They are formed under the Corporations Act of 1835 of Panchayati Raj system which mainly deals in providing essential services in Cosmopolitan Cities. The no. of councillors depend upon the area and population of the city that minimum of 3,00,000. Municipal Corporation members are elected from the several wards of the specific city on the basis of adult franchise for a term of five years. There are seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and women. The Councillors are elected by direct election from electoral wards in the Municipal Corporation.

The major corporations are in the six metropolitan cities of India that include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and among these Mumbai is the most populated and largest metropolitan city of India.

Mayor is the head of the Municipal Corporations in India. The Municipal Commissioner is the official in charge of this organization. Executive Officers monitor the implementation of all the programs related to planning and development of the corporation with the coordination of Mayor and Councillors.

Functions and responsibly of Municipal Corporation of India are mentioned below:

– Municipal Corporation building

– Water supply

– Hospitals

– Roads

– Over bridge

– Street lighting

– Drainage

– Solid waste

– Fire brigades

– Market places

– Records of births and deaths

– It also helps in education and primary health care

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