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District Level: Zila Parishad

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District Level: Zila Parishad

Zila Parishad (Zila Panchayat, District Council, District Panchayat) are the Apex or District level panchayats in the Panchayat Raj Institutions. They work directly with the state government, but they are not part of the state government.

A Zila Parishad needs to have at least 50 and at most 75 members. Some seats reserved for people who belong to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and also, women.

The administrative setup of the Zila Parishad is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This individual needs to be either an IAS officer or a senior state service officer. They are assisted by Deputy CEOs and other officials at the District and Block level. Zila Parishad members include individuals from the state legislature and members of the Parliament of India. Based on the manner in which a district structures its Zila Parishad, members can serve for 4 to 5 years.

The key functions of the Zila Parishad, with some variations across different states, are as follows:

  1. Providing essential services and facilities to the rural population
  2. Planning and executing the development programs for the district.
  3. Supplying improved seeds to farmers, informing them of new techniques of farming, undertaking the construction of small-scale irrigation projects and percolation tanks, and maintaining pastures and grazing lands.
  4. Setting up and running schools in villages.
  5. Executing programs for adult literacy, and running libraries.
  6. Starting Primary Health Centers and hospitals in villages, and conducting vaccination drives against epidemics and family welfare campaigns.
  7. Executing plans for the development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
  8. Encouraging entrepreneurs to start small scale industries like cottage industries, handicrafts, etc., and implementing rural employment schemes.
  9. Constructing roads, schools, and maintaining public property.

Panchayati Raj Institutions

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Panchayati Raj Institutions

Local government bodies that operate in rural areas are a part of the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI). Constitutional status has been provided to them through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

PRI's are responsible for building democracy at the grassroots level in the country. They are responsible for working on rural development in India. PRI's in a state exist at the District Level (Zilla Parishad), Block Level (Panchayat Samiti), and Village Level (Gram Panchayat). They look over the work of local bodies who have been elected by the local people to manage their local affairs.

 

Cantonment Boards

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Cantonment Boards

The central government establishes Cantonment Boards under the Provisions of Cantonment Act, 2006. They work under the Defense ministry of the central government. It is a civic administration body established for the provision of municipal administration to the civilian population in cantonment areas (places where army troops are permanently stationed).

A Cantonment Board consists of 8 elected members. Of these, a total of 3 are nominated military members, 3 are ex-officio members, and one is representative of the district magistrate. The military officer commands that particular station as its ex-officio President. The President of India is responsible for appointing the Executive Officer of the Cantonment Board. A Cantonment Board member holds office for a total of 5 years.

There are 64 Cantonment Boards in India. Cantonments are divided into four categories:

  1. Category I – population exceeds fifty thousand
  2. Category II – population exceeds ten thousand, but does not exceed fifty thousand
  3. Category III – population exceeds two thousand five hundred, but does not exceed ten thousand
  4. Category IV – population does not exceed two thousand five hundred.

Town Councils (Nagar Panchayats)

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Town Councils (Nagar Panchayats)

A Town Council (Nagar Panchayat) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is an urban local government body. It is established specifically in those areas that are changing from being rural areas to urban areas. Therefore, it is a form of an urban political unit that can be compared to a Municipality. An urban center that has a population of more than 11,000 and less than 25,000 people is classified as a Town Council. It consists of anywhere between 9 to 20 members based on the population of a town. A Town Council is responsible for looking after the following activities: 

  • Availability and maintenance of water supply
  • Maintenance of drainage, sewer, and sanitation systems
  • Provision of primary education
  • Working on slum improvement

Municipal Councils (Nagar Palikas)

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Municipal Councils (Nagar Palikas)

A Municipal Council (Municipality, Nagar Palika, Nagar Palika Parishad) is an urban local government body. They administer a city which has a total population of 1 lakh people or more. However, there are exceptions to this. Previously, Municipal Councils were set up in urban areas with a population of over 20,000 people, and thus, previously, all the urban bodies even those with a population of less than 1 lakh people were classified as Municipal Councils.

Administratively, a Municipal Council is a part of the district where it is created but it interacts directly with the state government. Usually, the smaller district cities and bigger towns have a Municipal Council. The members of the council are elected representatives for a term of 5 years. The elected representatives are chosen representatives from each ward (created based on population) in a municipal area. These members elect a President among themselves who controls and conducts all meetings.

Following is an indicative list of key functions of a Municipal Council. They focus on providing access to:

  1. Water supply
  2. Hospitals
  3. Roads
  4. Street lighting
  5. Drainage systems
  6. Fire brigade
  7. Market places
  8. Records of births and deaths
  9. Waste management
  10. Gardens, parks, and playgrounds
  11. Education for the economically weaker section of society

Ward Committee

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Ward Committee

A Municipal Corporation or Municipal Council comprises various Ward Committees. The Ward Committees were established with the intent of empowering and engaging citizens at the local urban level, similar to the way a Gram Sabha does the rural level. They are based on the idea that if citizens can partake in decision-making through Ward Committees then we can move towards having a participatory democracy at the lowest level of Governance. Key functions carried out at the ward level include management of public spaces, water and electricity supply, garbage disposal and drainage systems, and provision of streetlights.

A Ward Committee consists of one member from each ward in a municipal area. A ward is a specifically demarcated territory in a municipal area. The population of an area determines the total number of wards that can be established in that area. The Ward Committee thus comprises a Councillor and a few residents from that ward. It is meant to be representative of the population of the ward at large. Certain seats are reserved for individuals from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and female candidates.

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Municipal Corporations (Mahanagar Palikas)

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Municipal Corporations (Mahanagar Palikas)

A Municipal Corporation (Mahanagar Palika) is an urban local government body in India. They to administer urban areas that have a population of more than 10 lakh people. Municipal Corporations' role is to provide essential community services in the areas of health care, education, housing, transport etc.

In India, a total of 14 cities have the largest Municipal Corporations in India. This includes Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Surat, Jaipur, and Nagpur. The richest Municipal Corporation in India is Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In a Municipal Corporation, the Mayor is a ceremonial head while the Municipal Commissioner is an administrative head. The state government is in-charge of appointing a Municipal Commissioner who must be an IAS officer. The job of the Municipal Commissioner is to implement the policies of the Municipal Corporation and create the budget.

Following is an indicative list of key functions of a Municipal Corporation:

  1. Urban planning including town planning.
  2. Regulating of land-use and construction of buildings
  3. Planning for economic and social development
  4. Ensuring the provision of water supply for domestic, industrial, and commercial purposes
  5. Working on public health, sanitation, and solid waste management
  6. Safeguarding the interests of economically weaker sections of society, and differently-abled people
  7. Working on the improvement of slum housing
  8. Ensuring the provision of amenities and facilities such as parks, gardens, playgrounds
  9. Ensuring availability of burial grounds, cremation grounds, and electric crematoriums
  10. Preventing cruelty towards animals
  11. Maintaining a record of births and deaths
  12. Provide public amenities including street lighting, parking areas, and bus stops

Urban Local Government

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Urban Local Government

Local government bodies operating in urban areas are commonly known as Urban Local Governments (ULGs). Constitutional status has been provided to them through 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

Urban Local Governments (ULG) are of three types: (i) Town Councils (Nagar Panchayats) for areas in transition from being rural to urban; (ii) Municipalities (Nagar Palikas) for smaller urban areas; (iii) Municipal Corporations (Mahangar Palikas) for larger urban areas. The role of ULGs became more key after they were statutorily responsible for providing basic infrastructural facilities and ensuring their maintenance. ULGs often have the burden of limited financial resources and the unlimited needs for public services.

Additionally, Cantonment Boards also come under ULGs. These boards are created to provide municipal administration for the civilian population which lives in cantonment areas (where army troops are permanently stationed).

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Union Territory

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Union Territory

In India, a Union Territory (UT) is classified as a type of administrative division. While different states have their own state governments in India, the Union Territories are governed by the central government of the country. The Executive head of a UT is the President of India who appoints an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor to manage the territory. An exception to this rule can be made wherein a UT can be given the status of partial statehood. This is done when the Parliament passes a law that amends the Constitution and provides a specific UT with a Legislature, Chief Minister, and elected members of the Legislature. The National Capital Territory of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry have all received the status of partial statehood.

Currently, there are a total of 8 UT's in the country. These are:

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. National Capital Territory of Delhi
  3. Chandigarh
  4. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Dui
  5. Jammu & Kashmir
  6. Ladakh
  7. Lakshwadeep
  8. Puducherry

Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA)

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Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA)

Members of Vidhan Sabha are called Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA). MLA's are the elected representative of the constituency from which they fight the state elections. They are responsible for working on the development of their constituency, amongst other things. Additionally, MLAs are also responsible for drafting and proposing bills which are introduced in Legislative Assembly. It is only MLA's have the power to introduce Money Bills* in the state legislature.

In matters concerning government formation, the Members of Legislative Assembly are preferred over Members of Legislative Council, and hence, a vast majority of any ministry consists of MLAs. MLAs serve for a term of 5 years. To become an MLA, a person must be a citizen of India. Additionally, they need to be a minimum of 25 years of age, be mentally sound, and not be bankrupt. They must also be enrolled on the voters' list of the state from which they are contesting an election, and they may not be a Member of Parliament.

*"A Bill is said to be a Money Bill if it only contains provisions related to taxation, borrowing of money by the government, expenditure from or receipt to the Consolidated Fund of India. Bills that only contain provisions that are incidental to these matters would also be regarded as Money Bills"