Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department 

(Administration of Urban Local Bodies, Corporations, Municipalities, 
Town Panchayats and Water Supply)

POLICY NOTE - 2002-2003

DEMAND No. 33

PREAMBLE

Provision of basic amenities in rural and urban areas and programmes for "Water Security" are important points for implementation under the Hon'ble Chief Minister's 15 Point Programme.

  The Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply is concerned with provision of  civic amenities in the urban areas and provision of drinking water in rural and urban areas.

I . MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION

1. The urban local bodies form the direct interface between the people in the urban areas and the administration.  The overall administration of 6 Municipal Corporations, 102 Municipalities and 611 Town Panchayats is the responsibility of this Department.  Tamil Nadu, being the most urbanised State in the Country, the Department has multifarious functions in terms of providing basic infrastructure, conduct of  elections to these local bodies and administering the staff numbering 79,323.  The local bodies have 15 obligatory functions including  Public Health, drinking water etc.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES

 2.  There are 5 Municipal Corporations i.e. Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Tirunelveli and 102 Municipalities under the purview of Commisisioner of Municipal Administration and they serve a population of 1.20 crores in the State.

3.   The receipts and expenditure for the year 2001-2002, the budgeted receipts and expenditure for the year 2002-2003 are as follows:

4.   Property Tax is the most important source of revenue to the Urban Local Bodies and this forms 33.10% of their own revenue.  The State  Government allocated Rs.327.60 crores as its devolution under the State Finance Commission Recommendation to the Municipalities and Corporations during the year 2001-02 and this will be Rs.481.90 crores in the year 2002-03.  The Govt. of India have pledged Rs.25.53 crores from XI Central Finance Commission grant for the year 2002-2003.

5.   Elections to all Municipal Corporations including Chennai (6) and 102 Municipalities were conducted  in  October, 2001  and    the new Councils   assumed   charge on 25-10-2001.  The composition of the councils with regard  to weaker sections in Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribes and women is as follows:

Composition

6.  Extensive training will be given to the elected representatives through the Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies on a wide range of topics covering Municipal laws, conduct of  Council meetings,  finances, financing of infrastructure etc., with special emphasis on Women Empowerment and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes welfare at a cost of Rs.35.50 lakhs.  They will also be given national and international exposure.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

7.     This Government attach utmost importance for the provision of a clean and healthy environment to the urban population as emphasized in the VIII Point of the Hon'ble Chief Minister's 15 Point Programme.  The focus on clearing the garbage will involve segregation of waste at source, production of compost from waste, recycling of all recyclable  waste.  Water bodies and low lying areas which are necessary for Rain Water Harvesting  and Recharge will not be used indiscriminately for landfill of all garbage and waste.  Specific Government Order on the above lines as per Government of India’s  Solid Waste   (Management & Handling)  Rules, has been issued.  As part of this strategy, an absolute ban has been imposed on the filling up of low lying areas and water holding bodies with garbage and burning of waste.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION

8.   Own resources constitute 72% of the total resources available in  the Urban Local Bodies.  Property Tax which forms the main revenue item is generally well below the actual rates that could be levied and needs to be broad based,  uniform, equitable and elastic to grow with increased property values.  Computerisation of Demand Register, issue of receipts and use of GIS techniques to update the records automatically will be implemented to improve the earnings and collections.  Incentive would be given to better performing Urban Local Bodies by way of matching grants from the Incentive Fund of  State Finance Commission devolutions.  Increase in revenue from Advertisement Tax, Cable T.V. Tax etc., will be closely monitored.  Reduction in expenditure through better personnel management - establishment expenditure control, privatising  Operation and Maintenance works, Energy audit of water supply installations  etc., will be taken up in a phased manner.

RAIN WATER HARVESTING

9.   Urban Local Bodies have initiated various measures for recharging ground water through the Rain Water Harvesting techniques. In consonance with  Hon'ble Chief Minister's 15 Point Programme (point No.(i) and (vii)) the main  focus will be to "save every drop of rain water  and make rain water harvesting everybody's business" and ensure availability of safe drinking water besides making available for industry.   Awareness campaigns have been launched in all municipal towns on  rain water harvesting practices and it has been proposed to provide rain water harvesting structures in all municipal   buildings, schools, temple tanks, lakes, ponds, ooranies, public wells, failed borewells, etc.  Action has also been initiated to motivate the public to provide rain water harvesting structures in their residential houses.  Sanction of plans, property tax assessments, water & sewer connection etc., are given only if Rain Water Harvesting measures are undertaken in the households.   So far 2,376 structures have been provided in the Municipal  towns as detailed below:

The programme will be continued during the year 2002-2003 for coverage of more buildings and drinking water sources.