Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation

2021-05-19T12:35:52Z

2409:4041:2E02:94C:E4FE:FCA3:1EAB:3FD0: G

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox legislature
|name = Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation
|house_type = Municipal Corporation
|foundation = 2010
|leader1_type = Mayor
|leader1 = Elections pending
|party1 =
|leader2_type = Deputy Mayor
|leader2 = Elections pending
|party2 =
|leader3_type = Municipal Commissioner
|leader4_type = Leader of Opposition
|seats = 32
|last_election1 = 2016
|first_election1 = 2011
| website = {{url|http://www.gandhinagarmunicipal.com/}}
}}
'''Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation''' is the local civic body responsible for the administration of [[Gandhinagar]], the capital of the Indian state of [[Gujarat]]. It was set up in 2010. Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation has 326 sq km area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Municipal Expansions|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarat-municipal-limits-of-six-cities-expanded/articleshow/76459795.cms}}</ref>

== History ==
The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation was set up on 16 March 2010 after a ruling by the [[Gujarat High Court]] in 2009. Prior to that, Gandhinagar was the only state capital in [[India]] which did not have an elected body administrating it. The establishment of a Municipal Corporation to administrate and govern the city introduced municipal taxes to the residents of the city as well as made the city eligible to receive funding from the [[Government of India]] under the [[Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission]] (JnNURM).<ref name="gngets">{{cite news|title=Finally, Gandhinagar gets municipal corporation status |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/finally-gandhinagar-gets-municipal-corporation-status/591788/ |date=17 March 2010|location=Gandhinagar|work=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=2 August 2014}}</ref> The then Ministry of Urban Development at the centre, led by [[Saugata Roy]], however refused to allot funds to the GMC under the JnNURM plan as it had already reached the number of cities it could accommodate.<ref name="noJnnurm">{{cite news|title=No JNNURM cover for Gandhinagar and Karamsad, state govt fumes |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/no-jnnurm-cover-for-gandhinagar-and-karamsad-state-govt-fumes/850058/ |date=22 September 2011 |work=Express News |location=Gandhinagar |publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=4 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Council and elections ===
The Corporation has a council that comprises 33 seats representing various wards. The maiden election to the council was held in April 2011. The party that won majority seats in the Corporation Council was the [[Indian National Congress]] with 18 seats while the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], which governs the state of Gujarat won 15 council members.<ref name="grabcorporation">{{cite news|title=Congress grabs Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-congress-grabs-gandhinagar-municipal-corporation-1534963 |date=22 April 2011 |location=Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

The election was the first in [[Elections in India|India]] to allow [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Non resident Indians]] (NRIs) to vote using an online platform instead of a postal ballot which was the only way non resident voters could cast their vote earlier.<ref name="onlinevote">{{cite news|title=Election Commission of India may opt for Gujarat online model for NRI voting |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186810_1_election-commission-nris-voting-rights |first=Ritika |last=Chopra |date=29 July 2014 |agency=ET Bureau |location=New Delhi |work=Economic Times |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

The first mayor of the city was [[Mahendrasinh Rana]], while the deputy mayor was [[Yusuf Parmar]] of the Congress, who were elected unanimously by the council.<ref name="fisrtmayor">{{cite news|title=Mahendrasinh Rana is Gandhinagar mayor |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-mahendrasinh-rana-is-gandhinagar-mayor-1540805|first=Paras |last=Jha |date=8 May 2011 |location=Gandhinagar |work=[[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]]|accessdate=4 August 2014}}</ref>

In 2012, three members of the ruling Congress, including the mayor defected to the BJP, giving it the majority needed to run the corporation.<ref name="reverse">{{cite news|title=In reverse swing, BJP ‘captures’ Cong-ruled GMC |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/in-reverse-swing-bjp--captures--congruled-gmc/1025024/0 |date=1 November 2012|agency=Express News Service|location=Ahmedabad |publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=6 August 2014}}</ref>

== Taxes ==
The Corporation levies [[Property Tax]] on the residents of the areas within its jurisdiction. It levies taxes based on localities and the income of the residents.<ref name="taxformula">{{cite news |title=GMC proposes new property tax formula |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/GMC-proposes-new-property-tax-formula/articleshow/9547890.cms |date=10 August 2011 |agency=TNN |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=7 August 2014}}</ref>

== Functions ==
{{As of|2012}}, the Corporation had a very limited role that of sanitary activities such as clearing of garbage in the city because the [[Government of Gujarat]] was yet to transfer the land under GMC jurisdiction to the corporation from the forest, roads and buildings authorities.<ref name="noroletax">{{cite news |title=Bereft of any role, Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation runs after property tax |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Bereft-of-any-role-Gandhinagar-Municipal-Corporation-runs-after-property-tax/articleshow/16428763.cms |date=17 September 2012 |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=2 August 2014}}</ref> In 2012, the Corporation launched a facility for citizens to register grievances by sending an [[short messaging service|SMS]].<ref name="SMS">{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar residents can now register their complaints via SMS |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-residents-can-now-register-their-complaints-via-SMS/articleshow/11798891.cms |date=8 February 2012 |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Fire and Emergency Services ===
The Corporation also runs the Fire and Emergency Services wing of Gandhinagar City.<ref name="outsideNOC">{{cite news|title=Buildings outside GMC limits have no fire NOCs |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Buildings-outside-GMC-limits-have-no-fire-NOCs/articleshow/30395028.cms |first=Paul |last=John |date=14 February 2014 |agency=TNN |location=Gandhinagar |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref> The Gandhinagar Fire and Emergency Services (GFES) also operates in the three towns of [[Mansa, Gujarat|Mansa]], [[Dehgam]] and [[Kalol (Gandhinagar)|Kalol]] which fall outside GMC limits. It has a sanctioned strength of fifty [[firefighter]]s but has five full-time staff.<ref name="90shortage">{{cite news|title=90% staff shortage burns Gandhinagar fire dept |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-90-staff-shortage-burns-gandhinagar-fire-dept-1906054 |date=20 October 2013 |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Sanitation ===
The GMC performs basic sanitary functions such as removal of weeds, cleaning up of garbage, cleaning up drainage systems and removal of dead animals.<ref name="SMS" /><ref name="cleandrive">{{cite news|title=Cleanliness drive in Gandhinagar |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Cleanliness-drive-in-Gandhinagar/articleshow/25719881.cms |date=14 November 2013 |location=Gandhinagar |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Transport ===
Out of {{convert|62|km|mi|abbr=off}} of roads, {{convert|57|km|mi|abbr=off}} of roads come within the jurisdiction of the GMC.<ref name="cycles">{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar to share cycles |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-to-share-cycles/articleshow/30531116.cms |first=Hitesh |last=Chavda |date=17 February 2014 |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref> These roads are maintained by the Roads and Buildings Department of the Government of Gujarat.<ref name="SMS" /> In 2011, the state government decided to rename roads in the city. It was rumoured by officials that this was done to prevent the Congress-led corporation from naming roads after their leaders.<ref name="roadnames">{{cite news|title=Roads in Gandhinagar to get proper names, finally |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-roads-in-gandhinagar-to-get-proper-names-finally-1542387 |first=Paras |last=Jha |date=12 May 2011 |location=Gandhinagar |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

Unlike the neighbouring city of [[Ahmedabad]], buses are run in the city by the [[Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation]] (GSRTC), private player VTCOS and the [[Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service]] (AMTS).<ref name="cycles" /><ref name="AMTSGnagar">{{cite news|title=Now, AMTS bus will take you to Gandhinagar |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-now-amts-bus-will-take-you-to-gandhinagar-1303677 |date=27 October 2009 |location=Ahmedabad |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Water Supply ===
Water Supply to the city was earlier handled by the Gujarat Water Supply And Sewerage Board (GWSSB). After the formation of the corporation, the GMC took over water supply and planned to install water meters across all consumer premises.<ref name="metrewater">{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar water to be metered soon |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-water-to-be-metered-soon/articleshow/12127806.cms |first=Himanshu |last=Kaushik |date=4 March 2012 |agency=TNN|location=Gandhinagar |work=[[Times of India]] |accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Municipal corporations in Gujarat]]
[[Category:2010 establishments in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2010]]

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Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation