Urban Affairs Page

The Department of Urban Affairs (formerly Department of Municipal Administration) was formed in 1962 by the bifurcation of the erstwhile Department of Local Bodies into Department of Municipal Administration and Department of Panchayats for better efficient administration and policy of decentralization of powers.  The Department of Municipalities has been later renamed as Department of Urban Affairs with effect from 16-12-2002.
This Department is concerned with the administration of Municipalities and Municipal Corporations (together called Urban Local Bodies) in Kerala. There are 65 Urban Local Bodies in Kerala including 5 Municipal Corporations and 7 newly created Municipalities. The details regarding the names, year of formation, grade, numbers of councillors, area and population etc of the Urban Local Bodies in the state are furnished in Annexure. This Department functions under the Kerala Municipality Act 1994 which is a unified Act for Municipalities and Corporations based on 74th Amendment of the constitution of India.  The Act was amended in different occasion, major amends are made in 1999, 2009 2010.   In addition to the following are also taken into account.

1.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITIES (REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS) RULES 1994.
2.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (CONDUCT OF ELECTION) RULES 1995.
3.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON & DEPUTY CHAIRPERSION) RULES 1995.
4.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (CONSTITUTION OF WARD COMMITTEE & PROCEDURE FOR MEETING) RULES 1995.
5.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (PROCEDURE FOR MEETING OF COUNCIL) RULES 1995.
6.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (EMPLOYEES DEATH-CUM-RETIREMENT BENEFIT) RULES 1996.
7.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (MANNER OF  INSPECTION & AUDIT SYSTEM) RULES, 1997 THE KERALA 
8.MUNICIPALITY (REGISTRATION OF PRIVATE HOSPITALS &  PRIVATE  PARAMEDICAL INSTITUTIONS) RULES, 1997 
9.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (EXECUTION OF PUBLIC WORKS & PURCHASE OF MATERIALS) RULES, 1997 
10.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (LEVY & COLLECTION OF SHOW TAX) RULES, 1998 
11.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (EMPLOYEES MEDICAL ATTENDANCE) RULES, 1998 
12.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (WRITING OFF IRRECOVERABLE AMOUNTS) RULES, 1999  
13.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (REGISTRATION OF TUTORIAL INSTITUTIONS) RULES, 1999 
14.THE KERALA MUNICIPALlTY, (ERECTION OF ARCHES AND SETTING UP OF ADVERTISEMENT BOARDS IN PUBLIC STREETS AND PUBLIC PLACES) RULES, 1999 
15.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY BUILDING RULES, 1999 
16.THE KERALA BUILDING (REGULARISATION OF UNAUTHORISED CONSTRUCTION & LAND DEVELOPMENT) RULES, 1999
17.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (STANDING COMMITTEE) AMENDMENT RULES. 2010 
18.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (STANDING COMMITTEE) RULES, 2000
19.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (USE & MAINTENANCE OF MOTOR VEHICLES) RULES, 2000 
20.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (PUBLICATION OF NOTICE AGAINST THE BURIAL OF CORPSE) RULES, 2000 
21.THE KERALAMUNICIPALITY (ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY) RULES, 2000 
22.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (PREPARATION OF CITIZENS CHARTER) RULES, 2000 
23.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (ASSESSMENT OF  DUTY ON TRANSFER OF PROPERTY) Rl.1LES, 2000 
24.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (LEVY & COLLECTION OF LAND CONVERSION CESS) RULES, 2003 
25.THE MUNICIPALITY (CONSTITUTION & UTILISATION OF DISTRESS RELIEF FUND) RULES, 2003 
26.THE KERALA LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT (DELIMITATION COMMISSION) RULES, 2005 
27.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTED AUTHORITIES & OFFICERS) RULES, 2005
28.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (RESIGNATION OF CHAIRPERSONS, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OR COUNCILLORS) RULES, 2005
29.THE KERALAMUNICIPALITY (PROFESSION TAX) RULES, 2005
30.THE KERALAMUNICIPALITY (ACCOUNTS) RULES, 2007
31.THE KERALA MUNICIPALITY (CONDUCT OF CASES & PAYMENT OF FEES TO LEGAL ADVISORS) RULES, 2008
32.KERALA MUNICIPAL CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND RULES.
33.KERALA MUNICIPALITY BUILDING RULES, 1999.
34.KERALA MARRIAGE REGISTRATION COMMON RULES.
35.REGISTRATION OF BIRTH & DEATH RULES.
36.ANY OTHER ACT OR RULE FRAMED BY STATE OF KERALA RELATED TO THE DAY TO DAY ADMINISTRATION OF URBAN LOCAL BODIES.

The Department of Urban Affairs with the Director as the head functions as the controlling authority of entire Urban Local Bodies in their working. The Director exercises the powers delegated to him by the Government. The Department is supervising the entire work of the Urban Local Bodies. It is the coordinating agency as regards the implementation of Schemes under Five year Plan, Payment and monitoring various funds such as Development Funds (Plan Funds), General Purpose Fund, Maintenance Fund etc.

The Director of Urban Affairs is the inspecting authority in respect of all Municipal bodies. He is the appointing and disciplinary authority of all staff in the Kerala Municipal Common Service, except the staff of Engineering Wing (Since they are placed in the LSGD Engineering Department) & Health Officers of Urban Local Bodies. Hence the Department of Urban Affairs headed by the Director of Urban Affairs is the overall controlling authority of the Municipalities & Municipal Corporations in Kerala State.

Organization chart (PDF)

This Department is not expected to undertake any public works or any other direct services to the general public. The main functions are illustrated as follows.
 

• It renders necessary advice and guidance to the Urban Local Bodies in the state to carry out Civic Administration without lapse and lacuna.
• It provides guidance to the Municipalities and Municipal Corporations in augmenting their financial resources to enable them for better civic amenities in Municipal towns and Cities.
• The various Government Funds under Plan and Non- Plan schemes sanctioned to the Urban Local Bodies are being drawn and disbursed to them by this Department.
• This Department monitors the utilization of various funds issued to Urban Local Bodies.
• The Director of Urban Affairs is the competent authority to recommend loan raising proposals of all Urban Local Bodies from KURDFC (KLGDF) before the Government for sanction.
• The Director of Urban Affairs is the appointing and disciplinary authority of all staff in the Kerala Municipal Common Service, except the staff of Engineering Wing (Since they are placed in the LSGD Engineering Department) & Health Officers of Urban Local Bodies.
• He administers the Kerala Municipal Employees Central Provident Fund for both regular and contingent employees and Kerala Municipal Employees Central Pension Fund for regular employees of Kerala Municipal Common Service.
• The proper implementation of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, Cinema Regulation Act, upkeep of slaughter houses as per the specification of Pollution Control Board, Prevention of illegal slaughtering of animals on ugly circumstances which creates health hazards, ban of plastic and plastic goods having thickness less than 30 micron etc are regularly monitored by this Department.
• This Department monitors the implementation of various State and Central government sponsored programmes and schemes by the Urban Local Bodies.
• The review of the works in the Urban Local Bodies is being held at State level and Region level at regular intervals and instructions and circulars are being issued regularly for improving administration.

Other Functions
The Director, Urban Affairs Department is competent authority to issue licenses to building Designers / Architects/ Engineers in the State of Kerala. Now these powers are delegated to the Regional Joint Directors of Kollam, Kochi & Kozhikode to increase the accessibility of such persons who require licenses.