The AhmedabadMunicipal Corporation, or the AMC, established in July 1950 under the Bombay Provincial Corporation Act, is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Ahmedabad.
History
Ahmedabad Municipality was founded in 1873, which became a borough municipality in 1926. Ahmedabad Municipality was upgraded to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in 1950.
General Elections
The general elections for the elected wing of the corporation is held every 5 years, the last election being in 2015. Previously, 1/3 of the seats were reserved for women, but the current amount is 1/2. There are 62 wards which will be soon reduced to 50 wards. The last election was held for 62 wards consisting of 186 seats. Bharatiya Janata Party secured a majority, winning 148 seats, with the second-place Indian National Congress winning 38. 3 seats were won by independents.
Services
As per section 63 and 66 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, the AMC is responsible for certain obligatory and discretionary services.
Obligatory services
Erection of boundary of city defining city limits.
Watering, Scavenging and Cleansing of all public streets and places
Sewage services
Drainage services
Fire services
Health & Medical services
Street Lighting services
Maintenance of a monuments & open spaces
Identification of streets & houses
Regulation and abatement of offensive and dangerous trades or practices
Maintenance of burial houses and funeral homes
Construction or acquisition of public markets and slaughter houses
Construction or acquisition of cattle-pounds
Primary education services
Health and hygiene services
Construction, maintenance and alternation of bridges
Water supply services
Preventing and checking the spread of dangerous diseases
The securing or removal of dangerous buildings and places
Construction of conservancy staff quarters
Maintenance of relief works in scarcity
Discretionary services
Construction and maintenance of maternity homes & infant welfare houses
Construction and maintenance of educational institutes
Construction and maintenance of infirmaries and hospitals
The destruction of animals and birds causing a nuisance
Construction and maintenance of factory for the disposal of sewage
The building or purchase and maintenance of suitable dwellings for the poor and working classes
Provision of shelter to homeless persons and poor relief
Surveys of buildings or lands
Measures to meet any calamity affecting the public in the city any measure to promote public safety, health, convenience or instruction
Achievements
Administration
The corporation is headed by a Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer who is appointed by the government of Gujarat. He discharges the executive powerof the house. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 5 zones—Central, East, West, North and South. In 2006, a new zone has been formed, named the "New West Zone." The area covered in this zone was formerly governed by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
Wards
Each zone is further divided into 9 wards. Each ward is represented by 4 corporators. An election is held to elect corporators to power. The mayor heads the party, with the largest number of corporators elected. The post of mayor is largely ceremonial, however.
Track Record and Reforms
Civilian confidence stems from the fact that the city government has proven their efficiency in delivering services. Over the years, AMC has faced growth challenges effectively and provided urban services at a level significantly higher than the national averages, making it one of the top tier service providers in the country. Coverage levels in water supply, solid waste collection and sewer disposal are well above national averages. The recent focus on city transportation, encroachment removal and cleanliness has been maintained with impressive improvements over the past. More roads have been resurfaced, more encroachments removed and more solid waste collected recently than in any comparable period in the past. AMC's service delivery is matched by its high quality of governance, which has set benchmarks for other municipal corporations in the country. AMC has undertaken several novel initiatives including:
Issuing municipal bonds: AMC was the first municipality in Asia to have accessed the capital markets, and enjoys a high credit rating. This has been made possible by AMC's sound financial management, which has resulted in a healthy revenue surplus in recent years.
Implementing property tax reforms: Ahmedabad was the first large city in India to have implemented property tax reforms, and set a "zero litigation" record. CRISIL recognized this as the best urban practice in financial management and extended the CRISIL Award for Excellence in Municipal Initiatives to AMC in 2004 for setting benchmarks in the areas of e-governance, slum improvement and other urban management areas.
Environmental improvement: The civic centers of Ahmedabad are a model in governance, which has greatly benefited citizens. Not surprisingly, these models are being adopted by several other cities.
Implementing the public private partnership model in municipal transport: This novel step, involving 220 environment-friendly CNG buses, led to 33 per cent reduction in AMC's operating costs. AMC intends to procure 180 more CNG buses.
