Nagar Panchayat and Municipal Council
A village slowly grows; shops, schools and vehicles increase and problems of waste, water and roads become big. There are separate bodies for such growing towns.
Urban local government bodies are Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation and Cantonment Board. When a rural settlement begins to urbanise the State Government sets up a Nagar Panchayat there.
Key idea 1 : Nagar Panchayat — Nagar Panchayat is set up in areas with population above 11,000 and below 25,000. The head is the ‘President’ (Adhyaksh), elected directly by the people; tenure 5 years. 17 members; elected from wards by adult franchise and secret ballot; some seats reserved for women and weaker sections. The Vice-President is chosen from members and acts in the President’s absence. The administrative head is the ‘Executive Officer’ (appointed by government). Maharashtra has 146 Nagar Panchayats; most in the Nagpur Division. The Nagar Panchayat earns from taxes and also takes government grants.
Key idea 2 : Municipal Council (Nagar Parishad) — Municipal Council in towns with population above 25,000; classes ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ by population. Members minimum 17 and maximum 38 called ‘Councillors’ (Nagar Sevak); tenure 5 years. The head is ‘Nagaradhyaksha’ (President) — directly elected by people, the ‘first citizen’ of the town; presides over meetings and oversees financial administration. The Vice-President is elected from councillors. The administrative head is the Chief Officer — appointed by the State Government and selected through the State Public Service Commission exam. Maharashtra has 248 Municipal Councils (most in the Pune Division, 50).
Key idea 3 : Functions and income — Essential functions: health (cleanliness, public hospitals, control of epidemics, waste management, sewage, clean water, awareness) and education (primary education, new schools, vocational training). Also roads and street lights, birth-death records, tax collection, burial grounds. Optional functions: parks, gymnasiums, rest houses (dharmashalas), sports grounds, homes for the poor, generating employment. Income: taxes on land-buildings, imported goods, professions, houses, theatres-cinemas, water supply, and State government grants.
- Easy : Which body in a town of 20,000 people? — Nagar Panchayat (11,000 to 25,000).
- Medium : Which body in a town of 60,000? — Municipal Council (above 25,000).
- Exam-type : Who is the administrative head of a Municipal Council? — Chief Officer.
In the figure: Municipal Council: President, councillors, Chief Officer and committees.
Nagar Panchayat = 11–25 thousand, 17 members; Municipal Council = 25 thousand+, 17–38 members; head directly elected; officer — Executive / Chief Officer.
The Nagaradhyaksha is elected directly by the people, but the Mayor is elected from corporators.
11–25 thousand = Nagar Panchayat; 25 thousand+ = Municipal Council. Memory clue: ‘Eleven to twenty-five — Panchayat; beyond twenty-five — Parishad’.
Spot the difference
| Point | Nagar Panchayat | Municipal Council |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,000 to 25,000 | Above 25,000 |
| Members | 17 | 17 to 38 |
| Head | President | Nagaradhyaksha |
| Officer | Executive Officer | Chief Officer |
Practice questions
- 1Which are the urban local self-government bodies?
- 2In which area is a Nagar Panchayat set up?
- 3State the structure of a Nagar Panchayat.
- 4Where is a Municipal Council and how many categories does it have?
- 5Who is the Nagaradhyaksha?
- 6What is the work of the Chief Officer?
- 7Write the essential and optional functions of a Municipal Council.
- 8Write four slogans to make your city ‘clean and smart’.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation and Cantonment Board.
- 2In areas with population above 11,000 and below 25,000.
- 3President (direct election), Vice-President, 17 members and Executive Officer.
- 4In towns above 25,000; three categories A, B, C.
- 5The head of the Council, the ‘first citizen’ elected directly by people.
- 6To take responsibility of the Council’s administrative work.
- 7Essential — health, education, roads, records; optional — parks, sports grounds, homes for the poor.
- 8E.g. ‘The city is our home; keeping it clean is our duty’.
Municipal Corporation
Lakhs of people live in a big city; water, traffic, hospitals, schools and fire services are needed on a large scale. A large local body is needed — the Municipal Corporation.
The Government of Maharashtra sets up a Municipal Corporation in a city with population above 3,00,000 and annual income of at least Rs. 2 crore. Mumbai was the first city in Maharashtra to get a Municipal Corporation; at present there are 29.
Key idea 1 : Structure — Number of members depends on city population and is fixed by the State Election Commission. Minimum 65; Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has the most, 227. A member elected from a ward is called ‘Corporator’; tenure 5 years. At present Maharashtra follows ‘four-member ward’ system; single-member wards only in Brihanmumbai. If the Corporation is dissolved before time or its term ends, elections must be held within the next six months. The State Government may dissolve a Corporation before its term.
Key idea 2 : Mayor and Commissioner — The head is called ‘Mayor’ and the vice-head ‘Deputy Mayor’; the Mayor is the ‘first citizen’ of the city; tenure of both two and a half years. They can resign before the term. The Municipal Commissioner is the administrative head; the whole administration runs under his/her guidance. He/She is an IAS officer appointed by the State Government. Additional/Deputy Commissioners and heads of departments (City Engineer, Health Officer, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer, Education Officer, Chief Fire Officer) assist.
Key idea 3 : Functions, committees and income — Essential functions: water supply and sewage; electricity, road building-repair, sanitation, hospitals; burial grounds and birth-death records; health and primary education; control of epidemics; traffic and public transport; protection from dangerous buildings. Optional: parks, libraries, theatres, sports grounds, museums, tree planting, fairs-exhibitions. Work runs through committees; the Standing Committee is the most important. Income: direct taxes (property tax, vehicle tax, film-advertisement tax, water charges), indirect income (other taxes, government grants) and loans with government consent.
- Easy : What is the Mayor’s tenure? — Two and a half years.
- Medium : How many members in Brihanmumbai? — 227.
- Exam-type : After the term ends, election within how long? — Six months.
In the figure: Municipal Corporation: Mayor, corporators, Commissioner and Standing Committee.
The story of Mumbai’s civic administration is old. The Act of 1872 set up a regular Corporation of 64 members; only tax-payers had the right to vote and Sir Pherozeshah Mehta had a big role in drafting that Act. Its first meeting was on 4 September 1873. Later the Act of 1888 decided its present structure and in 1948 elections were held for the first time on adult franchise. So the right to vote came to all step by step.
Municipal Corporation: 3 lakh+ population, ₹2 crore income; 29 bodies; minimum 65 members, Mumbai 227; Mayor 2.5 years; Commissioner IAS.
The Mayor is not elected directly by people but from corporators; the Commissioner is appointed by government, not elected.
Elected = Mayor, corporators; appointed = Commissioner. Memory clue: ‘Elected leaders, appointed officers’.
Spot the difference
| Post | How obtained | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Elected from corporators | Presides over meetings, first citizen |
| Corporator | Elected from ward by people | Raises ward issues |
| Commissioner | Appointed by State (IAS) | Head of administration |
Practice questions
- 1Where is a Municipal Corporation set up?
- 2How many Municipal Corporations are in Maharashtra and where was the first?
- 3How are corporators elected?
- 4What is the work of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor?
- 5Who is the Commissioner and who appoints him?
- 6State four essential functions of the Municipal Corporation.
- 7State the sources of income of the Municipal Corporation.
- 8Write which new facilities your city park needs.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1In a city with population above 3,00,000 and annual income at least Rs. 2 crore.
- 229; the first at Mumbai.
- 3From wards by adult franchise and secret ballot; tenure 5 years.
- 4Mayor — head and first citizen; Deputy Mayor — acts in his absence.
- 5Administrative head, an IAS officer; appointed by the State Government.
- 6Water-sewage, roads, sanitation and hospitals.
- 7Property tax, water charges, other taxes, grants and loans.
- 8E.g. benches, drinking water, play equipment, lighting, dustbins.
Cantonment Board
Near an army base ordinary civilians live along with soldiers. For their daily facilities there is a special local body — the Cantonment Board.
The Cantonment Board is an urban administration body formed to meet civic needs of a military cantonment and the civilians living there. It works under the direct authority of the Department of Defence, i.e. the Central Government.
Key idea 1 : Features — Cantonment Boards were established in 1924. The Department of Defence, Government of India, sets them up and also provides their expenses. Among local bodies this one works under the direct authority of the Central Government. India has 61 Cantonment Boards in all, of which 7 are in Maharashtra: Khadki, Pune Camp, Dehu Road (Pune), Bhingar (Ahilyanagar), Deolali (Nashik), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Kamptee (Nagpur).
Key idea 2 : Composition — The number of members differs by board. Wards are made by population and people’s elected representatives become members; tenure 5 years. Besides them, military officers appointed by the government are also members. The senior-most military officer of the cantonment is ex-officio President; the Vice-President is a representative of civilians. The administrative head is an Executive Officer appointed by the Central Government. To keep military administration dominant, nominated/ex-officio members are always one more than elected members.
Key idea 3 : Categories and functions — Four classes by population: First (above 50,000) — 15 members, 7 elected, 8 nominated; Second (10,000 to 50,000) — 15 members, 7 + 8; Third (2,500 to 10,000) — 9 members, 4 + 5; Fourth (below 2,500) — 3 members, 1 + 2. Functions: local administration of the cantonment area; education, health, markets, water, roads; street lights, parks, sanitation; schools for children in the cantonment; fire brigade, dispensaries, vaccination; tree planting; collecting local taxes to give facilities to citizens. Income: direct taxes in the cantonment and assistance from the Central Government and Ministry of Defence.
- Easy : Under whose authority is a Cantonment Board? — Central Government (Department of Defence).
- Medium : How many Cantonment Boards in Maharashtra? — 7.
- Exam-type : In class I of 15 members, 7 are elected; how many nominated? — 15 − 7 = 8.
In the figure: Cantonment Board: Central govt, military President, elected + nominated members and Executive Officer.
Cantonment Board = 1924; under Defence Department; 61 in India, 7 in Maharashtra; nominated members one more than elected.
The Cantonment Board is under the Central Government, not the State Government.
Cantonment Board = camp + civilians + Central Government. Memory clue: ‘Board of the camp — bound to the Centre’.
Spot the difference
| Class | Population | Members (elected + nominated) |
|---|---|---|
| I | Above 50,000 | 15 (7 + 8) |
| II | 10,000 – 50,000 | 15 (7 + 8) |
| III | 2,500 – 10,000 | 9 (4 + 5) |
| IV | Below 2,500 | 3 (1 + 2) |
Practice questions
- 1What is a Cantonment Board?
- 2Who sets up a Cantonment Board and who pays its expenses?
- 3Write names of any four Cantonment Boards in Maharashtra.
- 4Who are the President and Vice-President of a Cantonment Board?
- 5Why are nominated members one more than elected ones?
- 6State the functions of a Cantonment Board.
- 7Where does the income of a Cantonment Board come from?
- 8Write the head and administrative officer of Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation and Cantonment Board in a table.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1An urban administration body meeting needs of a military cantonment and civilians there.
- 2The Department of Defence, Government of India, sets it up and gives financial aid.
- 3Khadki, Pune Camp, Dehu Road, Deolali (or Bhingar, Kamptee).
- 4President — senior-most military officer; Vice-President — representative of civilians.
- 5To keep military administration dominant.
- 6Local administration, education, health, markets, water, roads, street lights, parks, sanitation and fire service.
- 7Direct taxes in the cantonment and grants from the Central Government and Ministry of Defence.
- 8Municipal Council — Nagaradhyaksha, Chief Officer; Corporation — Mayor, Commissioner; Cantonment Board — President (military officer), Executive Officer.