India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, a Municipal Council (also known as

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

, Nagar Palika, or Nagar Palika Parishad) is an Urban Local Body that administers a city of population 100,000 or more. However, there are exceptions to that, as previously Nagar Palikas constituted in urban centers with populations over 20,000, so all the urban bodies which were previously classified as Nagar Palikas even if their population was under 100,000. Under the

Panchayati Raj The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...

system. It interacts directly with the state government, though it is administratively part of the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

it is located in. Generally, smaller district cities and bigger towns have a Nagar Palika. Nagar Palikas are also a form of local self-government entrusted with some duties and responsibilities, as enshrined in the Constitutional (74th Amendment) Act, 1993. Under Article 243Q, it became obligatory for every state to constitute such units. The 74th amendment made the provisions relating to urban local governments (Nagarpalikas). Three tier structure: * Municipal Corporation/City Corporation * Municipality/Municipal Council *

Town Board A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...

Four tier structure: * Municipal Corporation/City Corporation * City Municipal Council * Town Municipal Council *

Composition

The members of the Nagar Palika are elected representatives for a term of five years. The town is divided into wards according to population, and representatives are elected from each ward separately. The members elect a president among themselves to preside over and conduct meetings. Employees of the state government of India, including Chief Officer, Town Planning Engineer, Auditor, Sanitary Inspector,

Medical Officer for Health A medical officer of health, also known as a medical health officer, chief health officer, chief public health officer or district medical officer, is the title commonly used for the senior government official of a health department, usually at a ...

, and Education Officer, among many others, who come from the state public services, are appointed to handle the administrative affairs of the Nagar Palika.

Functions

The Nagar Palika is responsible for *

Water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...

Hospitals A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

Roads A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

Street lighting A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution ...

Drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

Fire brigade A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...

Market places A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from the Arabic), '' ...

* Records of births and deaths * Solid waste management * Maintaining gardens, parks and playgrounds * Providing education to unprivileged children

Sources of income

A steady and adequate supply of funds is essential for the smooth running of all these programmes. The various sources of income of municipal bodies are: * The income from taxes, including on houses, entertainment, electricity, water tax (in certain cities), vehicles, property, and land * Toll tax is the most important income of a municipality. All commercial vehicles may receive toll taxes, except auto rickshaw. *Income is also generated from commercial activities like hotels, tourist centers, renting and sale of municipal property, and education cess. * Financial grants from the state government are a major source of income for all municipal bodies. Loans are also provided if special projects are undertaken for citizens' welfare. * Professional tax collection from all the employers, i.e. government and private sectors

Sources

* ''Our Civic Life (Civics and Administration)'' - Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Pune Local government in India Hindi words and phrases {{India-gov-stub

Composition

Functions

Sources of income

See also

Sources