India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, a municipal council, also known as municipality, nagar palika, nagar parishad, nagar parisad or nagar sabha, is a self-governing Urban Local Body that administers a smaller urban areas than municipal corporations, with population of 100,000 or more. 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 county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

it is located in. Generally, smaller district cities and bigger towns have a Municipal Council. The specific powers, functions, and composition of Municipal Councils can vary across different states in India, as they are governed by the respective state governments through their municipal acts or legislation. 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 (nagar palikas). Three tier structure: *

Municipal Corporation Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally o ...

Municipal Council 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, borough cou ...

* Nagar panchayat/Town Board/Town Panchayat

Composition

The members of the Municipal Council or Municipality 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 chairperson and vice chairperson among themselves to preside over and conduct meetings. A chief executive officer, along with officers like an engineer, sanitary inspector, health inspector, and education officer who come from the state public service are appointed by the state government to control the administrative affairs of the Nagar Palika. Employees of the state government of India, including Chief Officer, Town Planning Engineer, Auditor, Sanitary Inspector, Medical Officer for Health, and Education Officer, among many others, who come from the state public services, are appointed to handle the administrative affairs of the Municipality.

Requirements

The population requirements for forming a Municipal Council or Municipality vary across different states in India. The specific population thresholds are defined by the respective state governments through their municipal acts or legislation. In Andhra Pradesh, a Municipality can be formed if the population of the area is more than 25000 and below 100000. The population requirement for a municipality to be classified as a Municipal Council can vary from state to state but typically ranges from around 20,000 to 100,000 residents. Again, the exact population requirement may vary depending on the state. The establishment of municipalities is primarily based on several factors that are taken into consideration by the state governments. These factors may vary from state to state but generally include the following:A study on "Decentralisation and Municipalities"
Department of Legal Affairs,

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

* Population * Geographical area * Urbanization * Revenue * Infrastructure

Functions

The Municipality 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 healthcare 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 emergency ...

(Excluding district hospitals, regional speciality hospitals) *

Roads A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

(Excluding major district roads) * Street lighting *

Drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils can prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root gro ...

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

* Market places * Government schools * Sewage treatment * Veterinary clinics * Agriculture * Public health care * Public amenities * Social forestry * Social welfare * Infrastructure development * Urban planning * Records of births and deaths * Sports and recreational facilities * Sanitation * Solid waste management * Maintaining gardens, parks and playgrounds * Providing education to unprivileged children * issuance of trade certificate, birth and death certificate, building permit, occupancy certificate, etc.

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 Local government in India Hindi words and phrases

Composition

Requirements

Functions

Sources of income

See also

Sources