The Meerut Nagar Nigam (MNN) also known as Meerut Municipal Corporation (MMC) is the civic body that governs Meerut city. Established under the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act-1959, it is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city.
The municipal corporation covers an area of . The first mayor of Meerut was Late Mr. Arun Jain from independent and first Deputy Mayor was Late Mr. Mohd. Ashraf Advocate. Since then, the Municipal Body has always been alive in its constitution and functioning to the growing needs of citizens.
Meerut is the second largest city in the National Capital region, and as of 2011 the 33rd most populous urban agglomeration and the 26th most populous city in India. It ranked 292 in 2006 and is projected to rank 242 in 2020 in the list of largest cities and urban areas in the world.
History
Meerut Town Hall was constructed in 1886 while Municipal Board (Nagar Palika) was established in 1892. On 15 June 1982 it was upgraded as Municipal Council (Nagar Mahapalika). On 31 May 1994 after enactment of Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act 1959, it was further upgraded as Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam).
Objective
MMC work for providing necessary community services like health care, educational institution, housing, transport etc. by collecting property tax and fixed grant from the Finance Commission and Government of Uttar Pradesh. Its sources of income are taxes on water, houses, markets, entertainment and vehicles paid by residents of the town and grants from the state government. Its annual budget in 2017–18 was ₹4812.2 million.
Amendment
The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were introduced in 1992 and were meant to facilitate greater decentralization at the rural and urban level respectively. They did so through providing legal status to local assemblies and entrusting them with greater functions and powers. The inclusion of certain social categories that had historically been marginalized from policy making and implementing structures was fundamental to the project of decentralization. These social categories were the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women. While the 73rd Amendment applies to the Panchayati Raj system, the 74th Amendment applies to Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats depending on the size of the city. The 74th Amendment states:
"Not less than one – third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Municipality shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Municipality.
Functions
The Twelfth Schedule to the Constitution lists the subjects that Meerut Municipal Corporation is responsible for. The Corporation is entrusted to perform functions and implement schemes including those in relation to the matters listed in the Twelfth Schedule.
Legislative Branch
Mayor is elected to serve as the de jure head of the municipal corporation. He is the head of the house (Meerut Town Hall) and belong to the party which is in majority. The office of the Mayor has ceremonial role associated with being the First Citizen of the city.
In every five years an election is held to elect corporators to power. The corporators are responsible for overseeing that their constituencies have the basic civic infrastructure in place, and that there is no lacuna on the part of the authorities. Position of Mayor is currently reserved for woman from Scheduled Caste category. Mrs. Sunita Verma from BSP is the incumbent Mayor of the city. Her husband Mr. Yogesh Verma is former MLA from Hastinapur.
Wards
As of 2017, the Meerut Municipal Corporation's legislature, also known as the Corporation Council, consists of 90 directly elected corporators while additional 10 corporators are nominated by state government. Out of 90 directly elected corporators; 35 seats are unreserved, 17 seats are reserved for women coming from any category, 16 seats are reserved for people belong to Other Backward Class category, 7 seats are reserved for women from Other Backward Class category, 10 seats are reserved for people belong to Scheduled Caste category and 5 seats are reserved for women from Scheduled Caste category.