Municipal corporation
Also called: Mahanagar Nigam, Nagar Nigam · Topic: Urban Local Government: Municipalities and Cities · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 12 "Grassroots Democracy – Part 3: Local Government in Urban Areas"; Class 10, Ch 2 "Federalism"; Class 11, Ch 8 "Local Governments"
Meaning
A municipal corporation is the urban local body for a larger urban area. It is one of the three types created by Art. 243Q of the 74th Amendment. Voters in each ward elect councillors, and the council is led by a mayor. Executive power, meaning the power to run day-to-day work, usually lies with a municipal commissioner appointed by the state. The Governor decides which areas get a corporation by looking at population, density, revenue, non-farm jobs and economic importance.
Example
Mumbai follows the commissioner system, under its Act of 1888. Kolkata uses the mayor-in-council system, in which the mayor and a team of councillors hold executive power. Class 6 says a corporation serves more than 10 lakh people, but this is a simplified figure. Real criteria and names, such as nagar nigam, differ from state to state.
Don't confuse with
- Municipal council: a municipal council serves a smaller urban area and is headed by a chairperson rather than a mayor.