Thrissur Muncipal Corporation

Thrissur Muncipal Corporation is the second largest city corporation in the state of Kerala in India. The Thrissur Municipal Corporation administers the local affairs of the Thrissur city. The municipal corporation also manages the distribution of electricity to residents and commercial establishments in the old municipal area covering about 12 square kilometers. The corporation is headed by a Mayor and a deputy Mayor. The current Mayor is Professor R. Bindu.The city is divided into 52 administrative wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for a period of five years.

Thrissur Corporation has a population of 3,17,474 (2001) spread over an area of 101.42 km2. Thrissur city alone accounts for 38% of the urban population in the Thrissur District.Thrissur Development Authority (TDA) area encompasses the municipal corporation area and adjoining gram (village) Panchayats. The total area under municipal corporation jurisdiction is 101.42 km2, and the area under the Panchayats is 18.83 km2. Together, these constitute an area covering 120.25 km2. According to the 2001 Census, the total population in the TDA is 3,44,933 i.e., 3,17,474 persons in the municipal corporation area and 27,459 persons in the Panchayat area.

History

According to Survey Settlement Register, Thrissur city came into existence in 1084.Thrissur functioned as a Municipality since 1921 in the time of Britishers and was came into existence on 1 July 1949. It became a Municipal Corporation on October 1, 2000, with the Panchayats of Ayyanthole, Koorkkenchery, Nadathara, Vilvattom (part), Ollur and Ollukkara. The Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994, now governs all municipal functions in the Thrissur Municipal Corporation. Municipal administration is carried out in 52 divisions/wards. The Corporation comprises three legislative assemblies (Thrissur, Ollur, Cherpu). Thrissur Municipal Corporation is divided in to two wings, Executive and Administrative.

Executive Wing

In Executive wing, a Mayor (elected from the councilors) chairs the Council meetings, and is responsible for overall supervision and control of administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation. The Council is composed of all elected councilors and subject to the provisions of the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994, the administration of the MC vests in the Council; the Council’s period extends for five years. The MC through the Council has all the powers, authority and responsibilities of the Government, to enable it to function as an institution of self-government in respect of the matters entrusted to it. The Council, subject to the provisions of the KM Act, may constitute committees for exercising its powers, discharging such duties or performing such functions, as it may delegate to the Committees. A Deputy Mayor presides over Council meetings during the absence of the Mayor. The Mayor devolves his/her functions on the Deputy Mayor when he/she is indisposed or out of the Sate. The Deputy Mayor is also the Chairman of the Finance Standing Committee.

Standing Committee

According to the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994, every Municipal Corporation shall constitute Standing Committees on the following subject areas and may exercise such powers as delegated to it by the Council:

• Finance: To supervise the utilization of budget grants and oversee the timely assessment and collection of taxes, fees, rents, etc;
• Development: To deal with dairy development, cooperation, small-scale industries, institutional finance, etc. and to prepare development plans;
• Welfare: To deal with matters of welfare of women and children, development of SC/ST, social welfare, etc;
• Health and Education: To deal with matters of public health, education, etc;
• Works: To deal with matters of public works, housing, etc;
• Town Planning and Heritage: To deal with matters regarding town planning, etc; and
• Appeals Relating to Tax: To dispose of appeals on taxation, etc.

Steering Committee

The KM Act lays down that every MC shall have a Steering Committee consisting of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chairmen of the Standing Committees and the Mayor shall chair the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is to coordinate and monitor the functioning of all Standing Committees and shall have the powers as delegated by the Council.

Ward Committee

The Ward Committee consists of ward councilor as Chairperson and the members are drawn from the residents association, registered neighborhood groups, educational institutions in the ward, registered trade unions, etc. The Ward Committee disseminates information at the ward level regarding development and welfare activities. The KM Act lays down that even the Council shall not alter the priority of the development work list prepared by the Ward Committee.

Administrative Wing

The Secretary is the administrative head of the MC and carries out resolutions of the Council, reports compliance to the Council, exercises powers and discharges duties conferred under the KM Act. The Secretary implements all the decisions/directions of the Mayor, ensures safe custody of the Municipal Fund and attends to all litigations for or against the MC. Seven departments manage the functions of the Thrissur Municipal Corporation.

General Administration Department

The General Administration Department (GAD) manages staff postings and transfers, defines staff duties and responsibilities, prepares administration reports and ensures proper communication between the departments and the Corporation Council. The PA to the Secretary is currently in charge of the GAD.

Accounts Department

The Accounts Department (AD), a key department of the MC, manages the MC’s finances and monitors the use of allocated funds for different schemes. It plays a major role in the formulation of the budget. The Accounts Officer (the post is unfilled currently and a Superintendent holds charge) is responsible for supervising all financial transactions related to the MC, advising the Secretary on all internal financial matters, maintaining records of financial receipts and expenditure in accordance with the purpose and utilization of funds, reporting deviations in utilization of funds in any of the approved schemes, assisting the MC in budget preparation, maintaining accounts regarding stamp duty surcharge and State grants, maintaining petty cash book and general cash book and attending to audit requirements and other such accounts-related duties. The AD is also responsible for internal audit of all bills for payment, audit clearances, preparation of annual financial statements and the demand, collection and balance statement.

Engineering Department

A Superintending Engineer (SE) heads the Engineering Department and is assisted by two Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) and seven Assistant Engineers (AE). The major duties and responsibilities of the Engineering Department include construction and maintenance of roads, drains and other public works. The Engineering Department also oversees construction of major schemes like shopping complexes, bus terminals, etc.

Revenue Department

The Revenue Department (RD) is another key department of the Municipal Corporation, consisting of a Revenue Officer (RO) and eight Revenue Inspectors. Some of the major responsibilities of the Revenue Officer include responsibility for collecting taxes such as, property tax, advertisement tax, and entertainment tax; issuing notices for recovery of tax; and monitoring revenue collections of the Municipal Corporation.

Health Department

A Corporation Health Officer (CHO) heads the Municipal Corporation’s Health Department (HD). The HD is responsible for conservancy services, sanitation facilities, solid waste management and other public health duties. The CHO is assisted by an Assistant Health Officer (currently a Section Clerk is in charge), 9 Health Inspectors and 22 Junior Health Inspectors (JHI). The JHI are in-charge of works at the field level, which includes monitoring and supervising the work of sanitary laborers in the wards under their charge and attending to specific local complaints.

Town Planning Department

A Town Planning Officer (TPO) heads the MC’s Town Planning Department (TPD). The TPD is primarily responsible for enforcing Master Plan regulations, awarding building permissions and facilitating land acquisitions for major schemes. The TPD also conducts routine inspection of MC properties. The post of Assistant TPO is currently unfilled and the AEs report to the TPO regarding building permission matters.

Council Department

Currently a UD Clerk is in charge of the Council Department (CD), which manages records relating to Council meetings and records all resolutions undertaken by the Council.

Former Thrissur Mayors

• Jose Kattukkaran
• K Radhakrishnan
• R Bindu (Present)

See also

• Thrissur
• List of Thrissur Corporation wards
• Thrissur district