Ward Committee

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)

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