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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