Good governance in a democracy aims to empower citizens to take part in their country's functioning at every level — this is participatory democracy. Cities are more complex and diverse than villages, so urban governance is also more complex. Local government in towns and cities works through ‘urban local bodies’, which are decentralised, meaning local communities have a direct say in how their areas are run. Cities are divided into smaller units called wards, and ward committees organise activities like health camps and report problems such as water leaks, blocked drains and damaged roads. Urban local bodies handle infrastructure, garbage collection and disposal, burial grounds, implementing government schemes, and collecting local taxes and fines. There are three kinds of top urban bodies based on population: a Municipal Corporation (Mahanagar Nigam) for cities above 10 lakh people; a Municipal Council (Nagar Palika) for 1 to 10 lakh; and a Nagar Panchayat for smaller towns. The Madras Corporation (now Greater Chennai Corporation), set up in 1688, is the oldest in India, and Indore has been judged the cleanest city for seven years running. For these bodies to work well, citizens must also do their duties, such as segregating waste and reporting leaks.
Participatory democracy in citiesUrban local bodies and decentralisationWards and ward committeesFunctions of urban local bodiesTypes of urban bodies by population
Key terms
Urban local body
The decentralised local government structure that runs towns and cities.
Decentralised
Run by local communities with a direct say, rather than by a central authority at the top.
Ward
A smaller unit into which a city or town is divided; ward committees handle local activities and problems.
Municipal Corporation
The highest urban local body (Mahanagar Nigam) for cities with a population above 10 lakh.
Municipal Council
The urban local body (Nagar Palika) for cities with a population between 1 and 10 lakh.
Nagar Panchayat
The urban local body for smaller towns with relatively low populations.
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