Municipalities & 74th Amendment
Revenue & Panchayati Raj · नगरपालिका और 74वां संशोधन · 18 facts
74th Constitutional Amendment Act 1992: Gave constitutional status to urban local bodies (ULBs); effective June 1, 1993; added Part IX-A (Articles 243P-243ZG).
12th Schedule added by 74th Amendment: 18 subjects including urban planning, regulation of land use, public health, sanitation, slum improvement, public amenities.
Three types of Municipalities: Nagar Panchayat (transitional urban area — village to town), Municipal Council (smaller urban area), Municipal Corporation (large city).
Municipal Corporation: Governs metropolitan/large cities; elected Mayor; Commissioner (IAS/State Service) is executive head; Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata are CMCs.
Ward Committees (Article 243S): Mandatory in municipalities with population 3 lakh+; elected ward members; plan local development works.
State Election Commission (Art 243K for PR; 243ZA for ULBs): Superintends, directs, controls urban body elections; ensures free and fair elections.
State Finance Commission (Art 243I — same for PRIs and ULBs): Recommends devolution from state to municipalities; every 5 years.
5-year term: Elections mandatory every 5 years; if municipality dissolved, elections within 6 months; no extension without election.
Women reservation: Minimum 1/3 seats and Mayoral/Chair positions reserved for women; many states have 50% reservation for women in ULBs.
MPC (Metropolitan Planning Committee, Article 243ZE): For metropolitan areas with 1 million+ population; prepares development plan for the whole metropolitan area.
DPC (District Planning Committee, Article 243ZD): Prepares draft development plan consolidating Panchayat and Municipality plans; forwards to state for approval.
Octroi abolished by GST: Octroi (tax on goods entering municipality) was a major ULB revenue source; abolished when GST was implemented in 2017.
Urban Local Body finance: Property tax is main source; professional tax, user charges, grants from Centre and State, own revenue from markets, parking, advertisements.
AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation): Urban infrastructure mission; basic services (water, sewerage, parks) in 500 cities; Rs 77,640 crore.
Smart Cities Mission: 100 smart cities selected; participatory planning; each gets Rs 100 crore/year for 5 years from Centre; focus on technology and sustainability.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban): Clean India urban component; elimination of open defecation, construction of toilets, solid waste management; started October 2, 2014.
Urbanization in India: 31.16% urban population (Census 2011); projected 50%+ by 2050; India has 4000+ cities and towns; fastest urbanizing country in absolute numbers.
NMSH (National Mission for Smart and Sustainable Habitats): Part of NAPCC; promotes energy-efficient buildings, sustainable transport, e-governance for ULBs.