Municipalities of Kerala

Municipalities Of Kerala

Municipalities are the urban local governments that deal with civic functions and local development functions in the municipal area. The 74th Constitutional amendment provided for a national framework for municipal governance in the country and Kerala is following that pattern since 1994. Consequent to this amendment, several changes have occurred in the functions, powers, and responsibilities of the municipalities and the states had to make necessary amendments to the legislation on the local governments in the respective states. Kerala Municipalities Act 1994, enacted as per the constitutional amendment, governs the pattern, functions and services of the municipalities in Kerala. The Kerala Municipalities Act of 1994, an integrated act for the municipalities and corporations in the state, laid out the constitution of the town panchayats, municipalities and municipal morporations. The state of Kerala has 60 municipalities and 5 municipal corporations.

The present form of urban local government owes its genesis to the British rule. Lord Ripon’s Resolution of 18 May 1882 on local self-government dealt with the constitution of local bodies, their functions, finances, and powers and laid the foundation of local self-government in modern India. Since then, the structure of municipal bodies has essentially remained the same, even though the urban areas multiplied. The 74th amendment to the Constitution of India resulted in increased roles for the municipalities in every state in India, where they have been perceived to be great contributors to the social and economic development of the country, as they are the level of government that is closest to the citizens.