Functions of the Department

            The department is not expected to undertake any public works or any other direct Service to the general Public.  It renders necessary advice and guidance to the urban local bodies in the State to carry out civic administration without lapse and lacuna.  It renders also guidance to the municipalities and municipal corporation in the augmenting their financial resources so as to enable them to provide better civic amenities in the municipal towns and cities.  The various loans and grants under plan and non plan schemes sanctioned to the local bodies and drawn and disbursed to them by the department and utilisation of the fund is watched by the department.

            The Director of Urban Affairs is the authority competent to permit all the urban local bodies to raise loan from the Kerala Urban Development Finance Corporation.  He is the appointing and disciplinary authority in respect of all categories of employees covered by the municipal common service except statutory appointments done by Government.

           The Director is administering the Kerala Municipal employees Central Provident Fund and Pension Fund.  The Pension fund is established for the employees in the regular establishment and the provident fund for the benefit of both regular and contingent employees in the urban local bodies.

The proper implementation of the prevention of food adulteration Act by the urban local bodies was regularly watched by the department.  Periodical reviews are being made by the department in the implementation of the various programmes. The revenue collection made by the urban local bodies was being reviewed by the department and necessary instructions imparted to the officers concerned whenever necessary.

The review of work in the local bodies was held at Regional and State level at regular intervals, The instructions contained in the circulars issued by the department for improving the administration were enforced.  In addition to the above several circulars are being issued on different subjects.  The work relating to revenue collection provision

** department has ** Regional Officers at Kollam, Kochi and Kozhikode with their jurisdiction as detailed below;

	Region	Jurisdiction
1	Regional Office at Kollam (Southern Region)	All Municipalities in the District of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Corporation of Thriuvananthapuram and Kollam
2	Regional Office at Kochi (Central Region)	All Municipalities in the Districts of Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Ottappalam of Palghat District and Corporation of Kochi and Thrissur
3	Regional Office at Kozhikode (Northern region)	All Municipalities in the District of Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasargod and Corporation of  Kozhikode.

Activities of the Regional Offices

Main duties assigned to the Regional Joint Directors are the inspection of urban local bodies, clearance of audit objections, conducting enquiries authorised by Government and the department.

All the three Joint Directors have conducted random/annual inspections during the year in almost all the urban local bodies.  A programme of inspection to cover all the municipalities every year is chalked out and annual inspections conducted accordingly.  The regular and systematic inspections and its strict follow up action has caused to increase the efficiency of work in the urban local bodies to considerable extent.

Another important item of work performed by the Regional Joint Directors is the enquires on the allegations against the Municipal authorities and employees entrusted with them either by Government or by the Director of Municipal Administration from time to time.  A number of enquiries were conducted by them and reports submitted

********* enquiries made by the Regional Joint Directors

Clearance of audit objections is another important item of work now being attended to by the Regional Joint Directors

Monthly review on collection of revenue in each urban local body is done by the Regional Joint Directors and necessary instructions were given to improve the collection.  Meetings of the Secretaries at Regional level were also conducted by the Regional Joint Directors every month to discuss various aspects of municipal administration and imparts necessary instructions to the Secretaries directly.

In short the Regional Joint Directors have exercised all powers  vested with them  and performed all duties assigned to them satisfactorily.  The Regional Joint Directors and the staff have to travel extensively with in the jurisdictions for proper discharge of their duties assigned to them.

The following powers have also been delegated to Regional Joint Directors. (Item I to (iii) are kept in abeyance.

I.(i) to transfer employees in all categories of posts come in municipal common service the scale of pay of which does not exceed that of (I) U,D.Clerks.

(ii) Public Works Overseers Grade.I under Engineering and Town Planning Branch and

(iii) Health inspector Grade II under Health Branch from one local body to another with in the respective region.

II. To give directions to the Municipal Councils relating to the insurance of licenses for factories, workshops etc.

III. To admit waive or drop claims or objections in the audit of municipal accounts after getting the full details examined, to conduct joint local verification of the audit reports with Deputy Examiner of Local Fund

V. To permit the Municipal Secretaries to leave jurisdiction

VI. Such of the powers as per Municipal Act delegated by the State Election Commission relating to election of chairperson, Vice Chairperson etc.

To perform performance audit in Urban Local Bodies.