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:
- Water supply
- Hospitals
- Roads
- Street lighting
- Drainage systems
- Fire brigade
- Market places
- Records of births and deaths
- Waste management
- Gardens, parks, and playgrounds
- Education for the economically weaker section of society