Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

Why in News?

Recently, Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Bill to restore direct election of Mayors, Chairpersons of ULBs.

What are Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)?

• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) – They are local self-government institutions that manage the civic administration, infrastructure, and public services of cities, towns, and transitional urban areas.
• Constitutional status – In India, they gained constitutional status under the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992, forming the third tier of government.
• Main Types of Urban Local Bodies

• Municipal Corporations (Nagar Nigam) – Govern large metropolitan cities; headed by a Mayor with an administrative Municipal Commissioner.
• Municipal Councils (Municipalities / Nagar Palika) – Govern smaller cities and towns; headed by a President or Chairperson.
• Nagar Panchayats (City Councils) – Govern areas in transition from rural to urban.
• Specialized Bodies – Include Cantonment Boards, Port Trusts, and industrial townships created for specific administrative or defense zones.

What are the Core Functions and Responsibilities?

• Water and Sanitation – Supplying clean drinking water, managing drainage, and treating sewage.
• Waste Management – Collecting, moving, and disposing of solid waste and garbage.
• Urban Planning – Managing town planning, land use, and building rules.
• Public Health – Controlling diseases, managing hospitals or dispensaries, and providing vaccination drives.
• Infrastructure Care – Building and fixing public streets, bridges, and streetlights.
• Public Safety – Providing fire services and removing dangerous buildings.
• Public Spaces – Building and keeping up parks, gardens, libraries, and museums.
• Social Welfare – Helping the poor, improving slums, and building night shelters.
• Economic Support – Setting up public markets, slaughterhouses, and parking lots.

What are the importance of ULBs?

• Essential Service Delivery – Provide safe drinking water, sanitation, waste management, street lighting, and drainage.
• Grassroots Democracy – Promote decentralization and give voice to local citizens, including seats reserved for women and marginalized groups.
• Urban Planning – Create master plans and control land use to stop messy, unplanned city growth.
• Economic Growth – Build and maintain local infrastructure that turns cities into hubs of business and job creation.
• Disaster & Climate Response – Act as local first responders during floods, disease outbreaks, and climate emergencies.

What are the challenges associated with ULBs?

• Low Independent Revenue – ULBs generate only about 32% of their required funds independently, remaining heavily dependent on state and central grants.
• Poor Tax Realization – Property tax collections achieve only a fraction of their actual potential due to weak enforcement and outdated mapping.
• Loss of Taxation Powers – The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) absorbed local levies like octroi and entry taxes without adequate compensatory mechanisms.
• Parastatal Interference – State-level development authorities and single-purpose agencies frequently bypass elected municipal bodies, causing fragmented local governance.
• Executive Power Conflicts – Tensions persist between elected political heads (Mayors) and state-appointed bureaucrats (Municipal Commissioners).
• Delayed Elections – Frequent and extended postponements of local municipal elections disrupt democratic accountability in several states.
• Staff Shortages – High vacancy rates and lack of recruitment control leave municipal offices understaffed and overburdened.
• Capacity Constraints – A shortage of skilled technical and financial professionals weakens project planning, execution, and transparent accounting.

What are the measures taken by government to strengthen the ULBs?

• Constitutional and Functional Devolution
  • 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) – Gave ULBs formal constitutional status and mapped 18 functional responsibilities (including urban planning, public health, and sanitation) under the Twelfth Schedule.
  • Model Laws – Introduced guidelines like the Model Municipal Law and Model Building By-Laws to help states modernize local municipal legislation.
• Financial and Budgetary Measures
  • Finance Commission Grants – Devolution of massive fiscal support through Finance Commission recommendations (such as multi-thousand-crore allocations under the 15th Finance Commission).
  • Municipal Bonds & Incentives – Central budgetary incentives encouraging ULBs to issue municipal bonds to raise independent capital from markets.
  • Special Assistance Schemes: Financial outlays via specific reform-linked special assistance packages for urban planning and capital improvements.
• Infrastructure and Urban Missions
  • AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0 – Focuses on basic urban infrastructure (water supply, sewerage) and developing GIS-based master plans for cities.
  • Smart Cities Mission – Promotes sustainable and tech-enabled local infrastructure.
  • SBM and PMAY – Central support extended through Swachh Bharat Mission (sanitation) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing) implemented through municipal channels.
• Capacity Building and Governance
  • Training Initiatives – Launch of platforms like the National Urban Learning Platform (NULP) and programs by the Capacity Building Commission to train municipal functionaries.
  • Performance Indexing – Use of tools like the Municipal Performance Index and Ease of Living Index to foster competitive governance among cities.

What lies ahead?

• India's rapidly urbanising cities require not merely elected representatives, but empowered, accountable and capable urban governments.

Reference

The Hindu| ULBs