Urban Administration in India - Polity NCERT Notes for UPSC

Municipal Corporation

Functions of Municipal Corporations

• It is a big organisation that takes care of street lights, garbage collection, water supply, keeping the streets and the market clean.
• It is also responsible for ensuring that diseases do not break out in the city. 
• It also runs schools, hospitals and dispensaries, makes gardens and maintains them.
• In big cities such organization are called Municipal Corporation but in smaller towns, it is called a Municipal Council.

The Ward Councillor and Administrative Staff

• The city is divided into different wards and ward councillors get elected. 
• The complicated decisions that affect the entire city are taken by groups of councillors who form committees to decide and debate issues. 
• For example, if bus stands need to be improved, or a crowded market-place needs to have its garbage cleared more regularly etc. It is these committees for water, garbage collection, street lighting etc. that decide on the work to be done. 
• When the problems are within a ward then the people who live in the ward can contact their councillors. For example, if there are dangerous electrical wires hanging down then the local Councillor can help them get in touch with the electricity authority. 
• Though the Councillor's Committees and the councillors decide on issues, the decisions are implemented by the Commissioner and the administrative staff. The Commissioner and the administrative staff are appointed. 
• All of the Ward Councillors meet and they make a budget and the money is spent according to this. 
• The work in the city is divided into different departments like the water department, the garbage collection department, etc.
• Sub-Contracting: In recent times, in order to save money the Commissioners of several municipalities across the country had hired private contractors to collect and process garbage. This is called Sub-Contracting. 

Also Read:

Deep-Water Circulations of Indian Ocean

Panchayati Raj System in India

Rural Administration in India
Constitution of India

Ways of generating funds by the Municipal Corporation

• People who own homes have to pay a property tax as well as taxes for water and other services. 
• There are also taxes for education and other amenities. 

Interesting Points

• A tax is a sum of money that people pay to the government for the services the government provides. 
• Property taxes form only 25-30 per cent of the money that a Municipal Corporation earns.
• The city of Surat had a plague scare in 1994 due to inadequate garbage disposal.

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