Types Of Urban Governments

The Urban local bodies are responsible for administering the governance of the urban areas through elected representatives. State governments demarcate the territory of the urban bodies to facilitate the governing process. India creates the following eight types of urban local bodies for administering urban areas:

Municipal Corporation

Municipality
Notified Area Committee
Town Area Committee
Cantonment Board
Township
Port Trust
Special Purpose Agency
Municipal Corporation

Municipal Corporation

These bodies cater to the urban administrative needs of bigger cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, etc.
Acts of the state legislature establish these bodies, and in the case of union territories, the Parliament of India passes these acts.
A municipal corporation has a division of authorities into three heads which are the council, the standing committees, and the commissioner.
A council is headed by a mayor, who is assisted by a Deputy Mayor.
Presiding over the meetings of the Council is his primary responsibility; he is elected for a one-year term.

Municipality:

Municipalities cater to the administrative needs of smaller towns and cities.
Acts of the state government and, in the case of Union territories, the Union government establish them.
It also has three authorities which are the council, standing committees, and the chief executive officer.
A President or chairman heads the Council here, presiding over the meetings and exercising executive authority.

Notified Area Committee

These bodies cater to the administrative requirements of the areas which are developing rapidly owing to industrialization. The establishment of notified area committees occurs due to their importance to the state government when these areas do not satisfy the essential criteria of a municipality.

Town Area Committee:

The administration of the small areas and towns is dealt with by the town area committee, they are semi municipal authorities who are given selective civic functions like drainage, street lighting, roads, etc.
The government of a state can either fully elect or fully nominate these bodies, or it can also partially elect or nominate them.

Cantonment Board:

A Cantonment Board caters to the administrative requirements of the civilian population residing in the cantonment areas.
Unlike the other urban bodies, this body is created and administered by the central government.
It works under the guidelines of the Defense Ministry of the central government.

Township

Large-scale public enterprises construct this type of urban government to provide their staff and workers with basic civic amenities through housing colonies located near the plant.
A town administrator leads a township, with assistance from engineers and various other technical and non-technical staff.
This form of government has no elected members.

Port-Trust:

The Port Trusts administer port areas such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.
Acts of Parliament establish these bodies, encompassing both elected and nominated members.
The Chairman presides over the Port Trust.

Special Purpose Agency:

Special Purpose Agency: These bodies have formed with specific designated purposes to fulfill. These are function-based bodies directed specifically for catering to specific purposes e.g. Town improvement trusts, Water supply, and sewerage boards, Pollution Control Boards, etc.

Urban local bodies form the basis for strengthening grassroots democracy in India. These bodies play the greater role of involving masses at the grass-root levels, thereby making them more aware electorally and politically. It empowers every citizen down to the grass root levels and gives them the power to influence the decision-making powers of the government thereby enhancing Indian democracy and making it more responsive.

Types Of Urban Governments, Types Of Urban Governments