The 73rd and 74th Indian Constitutional Amendments aim to promote local development in rural and urban areas, respectively. The Amendments intend to accomplish development through democratic decentralisation, that is, by citizen participation in local governance. They presume that democratic decentralisation facilitates enhancement of citizens’ assistance to the government in the policymaking process, empowers citizens to influence government policies directly impacting their lives, and increases accountability and transparency in the policymaking process – essential for comprehensive regional progress.
74th Amendment applies to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) like the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC).
The Karnataka state applied this Amendment’s principles and enacted the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Act, 2011 [KMC (Amdt) Act, 2011]. The Act mandates all city Municipal Corporations, including the MCC, to adopt the Area Sabha-Ward Committee (AS-WC) system. This system defines Area Sabhas (ASs) and Ward Committees (WCs) and their structure, composition, constitution, and functions. The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Ward Committee) Rule, 2016 [KMC (WC) Rule,2016] further specifies rules for the conduction of WC meetings.
Mangaluru City (MMC limits) is divided into 60 administrative units known as Wards, each named after its corresponding geographical area and numbered from 1 to 60 (e.g., Surathkal West is Ward number 1; Bengre is Ward number 60, etc.). The registered voters of each Ward elect their respective Ward Corporator (Councilor), forming part of the legislative body of the Corporation comprising 60 Corporators in total.
As per the KMC (Amdt) Act, 2011, each Ward in Mangaluru City is further divided into two geographical Areas, except for one Ward, which is divided into three. Therefore, the city has a total of 121 Areas. Each Area is represented by an Area Sabha (AS).
An Area Sabha (AS) consists of the Area’s registered voters, including an Area Sabha Representative (ASR), also a registered voter of the Area. ASs are required to meet (Area Sabha Meeting) at least once in three months to make policy decisions on the Area’s overall development. The decisions taken in the ASs are passed on to the Ward Committees (WCs). They convene at least once every three months to make policy decisions, which are then forwarded to the Ward Committees (WCs).
Each Ward Committee comprises the Ward Corporator and ten WC members nominated by the MCC Commissioner from the registered voters of the Ward. The Ward Committees meet at least once a month to make decisions regarding the Ward’s development.
The Area Sabha and Ward Committee decisions are presented in the monthly Council meetings for ratification.
In Mangaluru, the implementation of the AS-WC system is only partial. The MCC has already constituted WCs in all 60 wards. WC meetings started in them in March 2022. The MCC has also demarcated 121 Areas. What remains to be implemented are the bye-laws for the conduction of AS and WC meetings, the constitution of ASs, and the nomination of ASRs. This partial implementation is blamed for WC meetings being ineffective. However, the Council has recently passed a few resolutions to implement the system entirely.
Click here for KMC (Amdt) Act, 2011, and KMC (WC) Rule,2016