Local Bodies Rural And Urban
Class 6 | Social Science — Civics | Unit 2
Class 6 Unit 2 Civics
Unit 2 Local Bodies - Rural and Urban
Learning Objectives
To know about the structure and functions of rural and urban local bodies. To know about the Grama Sabha and the purpose of the Grama Sabha meeting. To understand the special features of Panchayat raj. To know about the participation of women in local bodies. To know about the election of the local body and will observe the forthcoming election.
Nandhini is in standard 6. It was her custom to read the headlines in the newspaper loudly to her parents Mr. Namburajan and Mrs. Manimegalai. They would clear her doubts. Sometimes, children from their neighbourhood would also join her and each one will read an article loudly. As it was a Saturday, Johnson, Maran and Anwar were also in Nandhini's house. Nandhini started to read an article from the newspaper.
"Avadi has been declared as a corporation"
She was about to read the next heading, but she had a doubt and asked her father. "Father, what is a corporation?"
"The Government of Tamil Nadu will declare certain municipalities based on above Ten lakhs population and high revenue. That's how Avadi has been declared as a corporation too", said her father Namburajan.
"Oh, if that is so, are there other corporations that exist already?"
"Yes, there are 21 corporations in Tamil Nadu, said Namburajan.
The List of corporations in Tamil Nadu
1. Chennai
2. Madurai
3. Coimbatore
4. Tiruchirapalli
5. Salem
6. Tirunelveli
7. Erode
8. Thoothukudi
9. Tiruppur
10. Vellore
11. Dindigul
12. Thanjavur
13. Nagercoil
14. Hosur
15. Avadi
16. Kancheepuram
17. Karur
18. Cuddalore
19. Sivakasi
20. Thambaram
21. Kumbakonam
Do You Know?
The Chennai Corporation which was founded in 1688 is the oldest local body in India.
"Father, what about the place we live in" enquired Maran.
"We live in a Panchayat, Maran".
"What is a Panchayat?"
"There are villages as well as cities in Tamil Nadu, aren't there?"
"Yes, father".
"Won't the needs of villages and cities differ? Our constitution has provided certain structures to fulfil the needs of the people. Accordingly, the urban local bodies are categorized into City Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats, while the rural local bodies are categorised into Village Panchayats, Panchayat Unions and District Panchayats. These are together known as local bodies."
"Oh, are there so many divisions?"
"Yes, I'll tell you about them. Didn't I tell you about the City Municipal Corporations?"
"Yes, father".
"Those areas which have a population of more than one lakh and a high amount of revenue and are found in the level below the City Municipal Corporation are called a Municipality.
Do You Know?
Walajahpet Municipality is the first Municipality in Tamil Nadu.
"You mentioned something about towns".
"A Town Panchayat has about 10,000 population. A Town Panchayat is between a village and a city. There is something special about the Town Panchayat. Can anyone tell me what is it?", asked Namburajan.
Everyone was gazing at him. But none answered.
"Well, I'll tell the answer myself. Tamil Nadu was the first state to introduce a town Panchayat in the whole of India".
All were amazed on hearing it.
A City Municipal Corporation has a Commissioner, who is an Indian Administrative Service (Indian Administrative Service) officer. Government officials are deputed as Commissioners for the municipalities. The administrative officer of a Municipality is an Executive Officer (E O)
"You mentioned about Panchayats and Panchayat Unions".
The Village Panchayats are the local bodies of villages. They act as a link between the people and the government. Villages are divided into wards based on their population. The representatives are elected by the people.
The Elected Representatives:
1. Panchayat President
2. Ward members
3. Councillor
4. District Panchayat Ward Councillor.
Panchayat Union
Many village Panchayats join to form a Panchayat Union. A Councillor is elected from each Panchayat, isn't it? Those councillors will elect a Panchayat Union Chairperson among themselves. A Vice Chairperson is also elected. A Block Development Officer (B D O) is the administrative head of a Panchayat Union. The services are provided on the Panchayat Union level.
Do You Know?
The Nilgiris and Perambalur Districts have the lowest number of Panchayat Unions (4)
District Panchayat
A District Panchayat is formed in every district. A district is divided into wards on the basis of 50,000 population. The ward members are elected by the Village Panchayats. The members of the District Panchayat elect the District Panchayat Committee Chairperson. They provide essential services and facilities to the rural population and the planning and execution of development programmes for the district.
The local bodies are governed by the representatives elected by the people. The constituencies are called wards. People elect their ward members. The Mayor of the City Municipal Corporation and the Municipal Chairperson are the elected representatives of the people. The people elect them. The Corporation Deputy Mayor and the Municipal Vice Chairperson are elected by the ward councillors" finished Namburajan.
"What are the benefits of local bodies, uncle?"
"There are many benefits. The services provided can be divided as obligatory functions and discretionary functions. These are provided by the local bodies.
Functions of the village Panchayat
Obligatory Functions
Water supply
Street lighting
Cleaning roads
Drainage & sewage pipes system
Laying down roads
Activation of Central and State Government schemes
Discretionary Functions
parks
Libraries
Playgrounds, etcetera.
Functions of the City Municipal Corporation
Drinking water supply
Street Lighting
Maintenance of Clean Environment
Primary Health Facilities
Laying of Roads
Building flyovers
Space for markets
Drainage System
Solid waste management
Corporation schools
Parks
Play grounds
Birth and Death registration, etcetera.
"So, who does all this work?"
"As per the decisions taken in the Council meetings, the commissioner or officers assign these works to their subordinate officers or other servants. Thus, they all work at various levels to get these public works done".
"Will the Government provide funds for these services, father?"
"The Government directly allots funds for these works. The local bodies also collect revenue".
Revenue of the Village Panchayat
House tax
Professional tax
Tax on shops
Water charges
Specific fees for property tax
Specific fees for transfer of immovable property
Funds from Central and State Governments, etcetera.
Revenue of the City Municipal Corporation
House Tax
Water Tax
Tax on shopping complexes
Professional Tax
Entertainment Tax
Vehicle Charges
Funds by Central and State Government, etcetera.
Activity
Distinguish between rural and urban revenue and functions. Find out from your home: The taxes paid by your family.
"How are the Grama Sabha meetings held, uncle?" asked Maran.
"Grama Sabha meetings? In movies, I have seen elders sitting under trees and discussing important matters and making decisions," said Johnson.
"No, no, both are different. A Grama Sabha is formed in every Village Panchayat. It is the only permanent unit in the Panchayat Raj System. Grama Sabha meetings are held even in smaller villages. The Grama Sabha is the grass root level democratic institution in a Village Panchayat".
Those who have attained the age of 18 years and whose names are found in the electoral roll of the same Panchayat can take part in a Grama Sabha meeting. The Grama Sabha meetings are conducted four times a year. Officers like the District Collector, the Block Development Officer, Panchayat President, Vice President, and Ward Members etcetera also participate in this meeting. The people can freely express their needs and grievances".
When are these meetings convened? January 26, May 1, August 15 and October 2. Apart from these days, the meetings can be convened as per need or during emergency. These are called Special Grama Sabha meetings.
Activity
The teacher guides the student to visit the Grama Sabha meeting.
"Mahatma Gandhi advocated Panchayat Raj as the foundation of India's political system, as a form of government, where each village would be responsible for its own affairs. The Panchayat Raj Act was enacted on April 24, 1992".
Do You Know?
April 24 is National Panchayat Raj Day
Special features of Panchayat Raj
Grama Sabha
Three tier local body governance
Reservations
Panchayat Elections
Tenure
Finance Commission
Account and Audit, etcetera.
"Thank you very much, uncle. We really learnt a lot about local bodies", said the children gratefully.
"I'm very happy that I could share so much with you today. That's enough of reading newspapers. Go out and play now",said Namburajan.
The children ran out to play joyously.
Activity
The Central Government gives awards to the best performing Village Panchayats. Find out if your village has received such awards.
Role of women in the Local Self Government
All local bodies have a reservation of 33 percent for women. In the 2011 Local Bodies election, 38 percent seats were won by women. As per the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Amendment)Act, 2016, percent reservation for women is being fixed in Panchayat Raj institutions
Activity
Find out about the ward members of your area. Talk to the women members and discuss their participation and experiences.
Local Body Election
The tenure for the representatives of local self-Government is 5 years. The election to the Local Bodies is held once in five years by the State Election Commission. Every state has a State Election Commission. The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission is situated in Koyambedu, Chennai.
Local Bodies of Tamil Nadu (At present)
Village Panchayats 12,525
Panchayat Unions 388
District Panchayats 36
Town Panchayats 490
Municipalities 138
Municipal Corporations 21
Source: Tamilnadu state election commission. www.tnsec.tn.nic.in
Think it over
Do you think the above numbers are stable? Find out about the recent changes. What is the number of votes cast by rural and urban voters in a local body election? Works carried out by local bodies during natural disasters and outbreak of diseases.
Glossary
Town Panchayat பேரூராட்சி Municipality நகராட்சி Corporation மாநகராட்சி Village Panchayat கிராம ஊராட்சி Panchayat Union ஊராட்சி ஒன்றியம் District Panchayat மாவட்ட ஊராட்சி
Recap
Local bodies are structures to fulfil the needs of people. Panchayat, Panchayat Union and District Panchayat are rural local bodies. Town Panchayat, Municipality and Corporation are urban local bodies. Grama Sabha is the only permanent unit in a village Panchayat. Panchayat Raj System strengthened the local bodies. The election of local bodies takes place every five years.
Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer
1. _____ is set up with several village panchayats
a) Panchayat Union b) District Panchayat c) Taluk d) Revenue village
2. _____ is National Panchayat Raj Day.
a) January 24 b) July 24 c) November 24 d) April 24
3. The oldest urban local body in India is _____
a) Delhi b) Chennai c) Kolkata d) Mumbai
4. The head of a corporation is called a _____.
a) Mayor b) Commissioner c) Chairperson d) President Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks
1. is the first state in India to introduce a town Panchayat.
2. The Panchayat Raj Act was enacted in the year .
3. The tenure of the local body representative is years.
4. is the first municipality in Tamil Nadu.
Exercise 3. Match the following
| Grama Sabha | |
| Panchayat Union | |
| Town Panchayat | |
| Local body election | |
Options: Executive Officer, State Election Commission, Block Development Officer, Permanent Unit
Exercise 4. Answer the following
1. Is there any corporation in your district? Name it.
2. What is the need for local bodies?
3. What are the divisions of a rural local body?
4. What are the divisions of an Urban local body?
5. Who are the representatives elected in a Village Panchayat?
6. List out a few functions of corporations.
7. List out a few means of revenue of village Panchayats.
8. When are Grama Sabha meetings convened? What is special on those days?
9. What are the special features of the Panchayat Raj system?
10. What is the importance of Grama Sabha?
Exercise 5. Higher Order Thinking
1. Local bodies play an important role in the development of villages and cities. How?
Exercise 6. Activities
1. Prepare a questionnaire to interview a local body representative.
2. Discuss; If there is a contribution to the improvement of your school by local body representatives
3. If I were a local body representative, I would
4. Find out the number of local bodies in your district and list them.
| Name of the District | |
|---|
| Village Panchayat | |
|---|
| Panchayat Union | |
|---|
| District Panchayat | |
|---|
| Town Panchayat | |
|---|
| Municipality | |
|---|
| Corporation | |
|---|
ICT CORNER
Local body
Through this activity you will know about the local body structure of India.
Steps:
Step 1: Use the URL or scan the QR code to open the activity page.
Step 2: Click the "panchayat Raj" to know about panchayat rules and acts.
Step 3: Click the "Scheme" to know about state and central schemes of panchayat raj.
Step 4: Click the "map" option to know how many panchayat raj in Tamil Nadu.
Browse in the link
Web: https://www.tnrd.gov.in/index.html (or scan the QR Code)
Book-back Exercises — Questions & Answers
Answers generated strictly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbook content. Attempt each question first, then click "Show Answer" to check.
1. Choose the correct answer
1. _____ is set up with several village panchayats
a) Panchayat Union b) District Panchayat c) Taluk d) Revenue village
Answer: a) Panchayat Union
Explanation: Many village Panchayats join to form a Panchayat Union.
2. _____ is National Panchayat Raj Day
a) January 24 b) July 24 c) November 24 d) April 24
Answer: d) April 24
Explanation: April 24 is National Panchayat Raj Day as mentioned in the chapter.
3. The oldest urban local body in India is _____
a) Delhi b) Chennai c) Kolkata d) Mumbai
Answer: b) Chennai
Explanation: The Chennai Corporation which was founded in 1688 is the oldest local body in India.
4. The head of a corporation is called a _____
a) Mayor b) Commissioner c) Chairperson d) President
Answer: a) Mayor
Explanation: The Mayor of the City Municipal Corporation is the elected representative of the people.
2. Fill in the blanks
1. _____ is the first state in India to introduce a town Panchayat.
Answer: Tamil Nadu
2. The Panchayat Raj Act was enacted in the year _____.
Answer: 1992
3. The tenure of the local body representative is _____ years.
Answer: 5
4. _____ is the first municipality in Tamil Nadu.
Answer: Walajahpet Municipality
3. Match the Following
3. Match the Following
| Grama Sabha | Executive Officer |
| Panchayat Union | State Election Commission |
| Town Panchayat | Block Development Officer |
| Local body election | Permanent Unit |
Answers:
Grama Sabha - Permanent Unit
Panchayat Union - Block Development Officer
Town Panchayat - Executive Officer
Local body election - State Election Commission
4. Answer the following
1. Is there any corporation in your district? Name it.
Answer: There are 21 corporations in Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Tirunelveli, Erode, Thoothukudi, Tiruppur, Vellore, Dindigul, Thanjavur, Nagercoil, Hosur, Avadi, Kancheepuram, Karur, Cuddalore, Sivakasi, Tambaram, and Kumbakonam.
2. What is the need for local bodies?
Answer: The needs of villages and cities differ. Our constitution has provided certain structures to fulfil the needs of the people. Local bodies are structures to fulfil the needs of people and they act as a link between the people and the government.
3. What are the divisions of a rural local body?
Answer: The rural local bodies are categorised into Village Panchayats, Panchayat Unions and District Panchayats.
4. What are the divisions of an Urban local body?
Answer: The urban local bodies are categorized into City Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats.
5. Who are the representatives elected in a Village Panchayat?
Answer: The elected representatives in a Village Panchayat are: 1. Panchayat President 2. Ward members 3. Councillor 4. District Panchayat Ward Councillor.
6. List out a few functions of corporations.
Answer: Functions of City Municipal Corporation include drinking water supply, street lighting, maintenance of clean environment, primary health facilities, laying of roads, building flyovers, space for markets, drainage system, solid waste management, corporation schools, parks, playgrounds, and birth and death registration.
7. List out a few means of revenue of village Panchayats.
Answer: Revenue of Village Panchayat includes house tax, professional tax, tax on shops, water charges, specific fees for property tax, specific fees for transfer of immovable property, and funds from Central and State Governments.
8. When are Grama Sabha meetings convened? What is special on those days?
Answer: Grama Sabha meetings are convened four times a year on January 26, May 1, August 15 and October 2. These days are special as they are national festivals - Republic Day, May Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti respectively.
9. What are the special features of the Panchayat Raj system?
Answer: Special features of Panchayat Raj include Grama Sabha, three tier local body governance, reservations, Panchayat Elections, tenure, Finance Commission, Account and Audit.
10. What is the importance of Grama Sabha?
Answer: Grama Sabha is the only permanent unit in the Panchayat Raj System. It is the grass root level democratic institution in a Village Panchayat where people can freely express their needs and grievances. Those who have attained the age of 18 years and whose names are found in the electoral roll can participate.
5. Higher Order Thinking
1. Local bodies play an important role in the development of villages and cities. How?
Answer: Local bodies provide essential services through obligatory and discretionary functions. They provide water supply, street lighting, road maintenance, drainage systems, health facilities, parks, and schools. They collect revenue and implement Central and State Government schemes. Local bodies act as a link between people and government, allowing people to express their needs and grievances through democratic institutions like Grama Sabha meetings.
📝 Summary
- Local bodies in Tamil Nadu are divided into urban bodies (City Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Town Panchayats) and rural bodies (Village Panchayats, Panchayat Unions, and District Panchayats) to fulfill different needs of villages and cities.
- There are 21 corporations in Tamil Nadu, with Chennai Corporation being the oldest local body in India (founded in 1688), and municipalities are areas with more than one lakh population below corporation level.
- Town Panchayats have about 10,000 population and serve as a bridge between villages and cities, with Tamil Nadu being the first state in India to introduce Town Panchayats.
- Village Panchayats are local bodies that act as a link between people and government, with villages divided into wards based on population and representatives elected by the people.
- The administrative structure includes Commissioners (IAS officers) for City Municipal Corporations, Executive Officers for Municipalities, and elected representatives like Panchayat Presidents, Ward members, Councillors, and District Panchayat Ward Councillors.