Kochi Municipal Corporation

Last updated

Kochi Municipal Corporation
Logo of Corporation of Cochin.jpg
Logo of Kochi Municipal Corporation
Type
Type
Term limits
5 years
History
Founded1967;56 years ago (1967)
Leadership
M. Anil Kumar
Ansiya K. A.
M. Babu Abdul Khadeer, IRPS
Structure
Seats74
Political groups
  •    UDF: 30 seats
  •    LDF: 29 seats
  •    NDA: 05 seats
  •   Others: 10 seats
Committees
8
  • Development standing committee
  • Education & Sports standing committee
  • Finance standing committee
  • Health standing committee
  • Public works standing committee
  • Tax appeal standing committee
  • Town planning standing committee
  • Welfare standing committee
Elections
Last election
2020
Meeting place
Kochi Municipal Corporation IMG 20180916 140014.jpg
Corporation Office, Kochi
Website
kochicorporation.lsgkerala.gov.in

The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the state of Kerala. The Corporation manages 94.88 km2 of Kochi city and has a population of 677,381 [1] within that area. It is the most densely populated city corporation in the state. [2] Kochi Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.

Contents

History

The port at Kozhikode held superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur, Kollam, and Kochi, were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather. [3] The Portuguese arrived at Kappad Kozhikode in 1498 during the Age of Discovery, thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India. [4] With the arrival of Portuguese on Malabar Coast in the late 15th century CE, the power of Zamorin began to decline and Kochi began to emerge as the largest port city on the coast. [5] The Cochin Municipal Corporation was formed on 1 November 1967 merging municipalities of Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam. The municipalities of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry were one among the oldest in the country.

The map of Fort Kochi City Municipality under Dutch with Fort Stormburg (Kochi Fort) seen below. Fort Kochi City Map 1672.png
The map of Fort Kochi City Municipality under Dutch with Fort Stormburg (Kochi Fort) seen below.

The region of Fort Cochin had the first municipality in any part of India. The Fort Kochi had its first municipality established under Dutch influence on 18 April 1664 which was limited within Dutch occupied Kochi Stormburg Fort (Immanuel Fort). This was the oldest municipality recorded in Indian sub-continent. However, with handing over Kochi to British as part of Anglo-Dutch treaty, the municipality of Fort Kochi was disbanded and most of the local administration were carried out Pandara officials (Revenue department of Kochi Kingdom). The Ernakulam town was under direct protection of British Resident of Kochi. A municipality under chairmanship of British Resident was commissioned in 1823 to administer Ernakulam town. However it doesn't represent any local population, as it consist of military officials of British East India Company.

In 1866, Fort Cochin municipality reestablished. Fort Kochi, which was a part of Malabar District until 1956, was made a municipality on 1 November 1866, along with Kannur, Thalassery, Kozhikode, and Palakkad, according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) [6] [7] [8] [9] of the British Indian Empire. Its first Municipal Council seating contest was conducted in 1883. This was first modern municipality in the state and also the first native (not under British India) municipality of the country. Much of Kochi's progress in local administration came under reign of Maharaja Rama Varma along with support of Diwan Sankunni Menon. In year 1873, Mattencherry areas were demarcated out of Fort Kochi and a new Municipality board was formed. In 1896, the Maharaja announced establishment of Municipal board for Ernakulam town with 4 members from Palace, 2 members from local communities, one Englishman and 2 members from other religious minorities. The Mayor was nominated by Maharaja. These were the first step towards establishing a modern municipalities in the city.

After independence, these 3 municipalities remained and was brought under Indian laws. In 1956 the erstwhile Elamkulam Panchayat and a portion of Cheranallur Panchayat (Pachalam - Vaduthala) were amalgamated to the Ernakulam Municipality. In 1962 a portion of Palluruthy Panchayat (Mundamveli area) was amalgamated to the then Mattancherry Municipality. Edappally Panchayat was formed in 1946 and Palluruthy and Vyttila in 1953.

The idea behind the formation of Cochin Municipal Corporation [10] was first shaped in the Mattancherry Municipal Council. The Council passed a resolution requesting the Government to form Cochin Municipal Corporation amalgamating the Municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Cochin on 9 July 1960. However then the Fort Cochin Municipal Council strongly opposed to the proposal and declared that Fort Cochin was against any such formation. However Kerala State Assembly approved the proposal of Cochin Municipal Corporation. Govt. of Kerala as per their order G.O. (MS) 276/67/DD dt. 27/9/67 notified the formation of the Cochin Municipal Corporation by amalgamating the three ancient Municipalities of the state, viz. Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Cochin and the Willingdon Island and four Panchayats viz. Palluruthy, Vennala, Vyttila and Edappally and the small islands of Gundu Dweepu, Ramanthuruth having an area of 83.524 km2. The new born Corporation came into existence on 1 November 1967.

Structure

The corporation is headed by a Mayor. The current Mayor is M Anil Kumar, seconded by KA Ansiya as deputy mayor. Former mayors and deputy mayors include Mercy Williams and C.K. Manisankar. The city is divided into 74 administrative wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for a period of five years. The corporation has its central office situated in Ernakulam and has zonal offices at Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally, Vaduthala and Vyttila.

For the purpose of administration, the corporation is divided into different departments, each catering to a different aspect of the city's development and welfare. The Personal Department takes care of the general administration of the city. The various departments include that of Town Planning, Health, Engineering, Revenue, Accounts and the Council Section. The corporation has a Janasevanakendram (meaning centre for people's service), that addresses the issues of the public. The corporation also operates eight maternity and child welfare centers in the city.

Flag and emblem

The flag of Cochin Municipal Corporation is divided by a left diagonal with white forming the upper part symbolizing the city and blue forming lower part symbolizing the seas. The Emblem was adopted in 1970 which has a huge Ship in center of its crest symbolizing the maritime history of the city.

Naming

The official name of the body was Cochin Municipal Corporation, as the city was known in its British colonial name Cochin in 1967. The state government renamed the city to its original Malayalam name, Kochi and the change in name was challenged by the city municipal corporation. However, court has dismissed the plea. [11]

Demography

The Kochi City has a population of 596,473 as per Indian Census 2001. Kochi witnessed a rapid population growth during the past 30 years. The average decadal growth in Kochi Corporation is 7.83% whereas the nearby municipal areas registered decadal average of 18.65%, and the adjoining panchayaths had an average decadal growth of 12.13%. The Sub-urban areas around the city is showing high rate of population growth and also fast developing trends. The literacy rate is 95.5%

Revenue sources

The following are the Income sources for the Corporation from the Central and State Government. [12] [13] [14]

Revenue from taxes

Following is the Tax related revenue for the corporation.

Revenue from non-tax sources

Following is the Non Tax related revenue for the corporation.

Election history

2015 Local body elections

Soumini Jain from the Indian National Congress served as the mayor of Cochin Corporation in 2015. [15] [16] [17] [18] On the council, Soumini represented the municipal corporation's 36th division (Elamkulam). [19]

S.No.Political Front/PartyNumber of Corporators
1 United Democratic Front (UDF)38
2 Left Democratic Front (LDF)23
3 National Democratic Alliance (NDA)02
4Others11

2020 Local body elections

M Anil Kumar from the CPI(M) is the mayor of Cochin Corporation in 2020. [19]

S.No.Party NameNumber of CorporatorsChange
01 UDF 30Decrease2.svg 8
02 LDF 29Increase2.svg 6
03 BJP 5Increase2.svg 3
04Others10Decrease2.svg 1

Issues

One of the main issues that the Kochi Municipal Corporation faces is that much of the modern city has developed outside the official city limits which was last defined in 1967. As a result, the extended urban agglomeration grew much more than any other city of India, leaving the corporation dry in resources. As Kochi is a major industry and thriving modern port-city, it required much more strong leadership and plans, which till now never materialized. The city grew in unplanned way without any masterplan creating more problems. As most of the town-planning agencies like transport, electricity, water distribution were managed by Kerala Government, the Kochi Corporation failed in co-ordinating various agencies implementing various projects. Apart from all these, much of the infrastructural development funds for the city were given to Greater Cochin Development Authority which often creates administrative clashes and issues over implementation.

One of the major issue which the city faced earlier was waste management which aggravated in 2002, which was partially solved by commissioning of the Brahmapuram Waste Management Plant in 2008. However this was gradually converted into a dumping yard. In 2023, a major fire broke out at the Brahmapuram plant resulting in major parts of Kochi city getting engulfed in smoke. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochi</span> City in Kerala, India

Kochi, also known as Cochin is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala and is commonly referred to as Ernakulam. Kochi is the most densely populated city in Kerala. As of 2011, it has a corporation limit population of 677,381 within an area of 94.88 km2 and a total urban population of more than of 2.1 million within an area of 440 km2, making it the largest and the most populous metropolitan area in Kerala. Kochi city is also part of the Greater Cochin region and is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India. The civic body that governs the city is the Kochi Municipal Corporation, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA). The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam, Fort Kochi, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery, Aluva and Kakkanad to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernakulam district</span> District in Kerala, India

Ernakulam, IPA: [erɐɳɐːguɭɐm]; ISO: Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ, in Malayalam: എറണാകുളം), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, that takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part of the state, spans an area of about 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi), and is home to over 9% of Kerala's population. Its headquarters are located at Kakkanad. The district includes Kochi, also known as the commercial capital of Kerala, which is famous for its ancient Churches, Hindu temples, synagogues and mosques. The district includes the largest metropolitan region of the state: Greater Cochin. Ernakulam is the district that yields the most revenue and the largest number of industries in the state. Ernakulam is the third most populous district in Kerala, after Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram. The district also hosts the highest number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palakkad district</span> District in Kerala, India

Palakkad is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district in the state since 2006. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram district, on the southwest by the Thrissur district, on the northeast by Nilgiris district, and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is nicknamed "The granary of Kerala". Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The 2,383 m high Anginda peak, which is situated in the border of Palakkad district, Nilgiris district, and Malappuram district, in Silent Valley National Park, is the highest point of elevation in Palakkad district. Palakkad city is located just 50 km away from Coimbatore, a major city in Tamil Nadu state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Cochin</span> Monarchy in India (before 12th century–1949)

The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when the monarchy was abolished by the Dominion of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Kochi</span> Place in Kochi

Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort on Indian soil, controlled by the Portuguese East Indies. This is part of a handful of water-bound islands and islets toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Cochin or West Cochin. Adjacent to this is the locality of Mattancherry. In 1967, these three municipalities along with a few adjoining areas, were amalgamated to form the Kochi Municipal Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar District</span> Administrative district of British India

Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (1947-1956). It was the most populous and the third-largest district in the erstwhile Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Chavakad Taluk and parts of Kodungallur Taluk of Thrissur district, and Fort Kochi area of Ernakulam district in the northern and central parts of present Kerala state, the Lakshadweep Islands, and a major portion of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. The detached settlements of Tangasseri and Anchuthengu, which were British colonies within the kingdom of Travancore in southern Kerala, also formed part of Malabar District until 1927. Malayalam was the administrative as well as the most spoken lingua franca of Malabar District during British Rule. Jeseri, a distinct dialect of Malayalam, was spoken in the Laccadive Islands. Malabar District merged with the erstwhile state of Travancore-Cochin (1950-1956) to form Kerala according to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. On the same day, the present Kasaragod district of South Canara District was also attached to Malabar, and the Laccadive & Minicoy Islands of Malabar were reorganised to form a new Union Territory. Malabar was trifurcated to form the districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad, on 1 January 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernakulam</span> Downtown of Kochi city in India

Ernakulam is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard are situated here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Cochin Development Authority</span> Statutory body overseeing Kochi city

Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is the statutory body overseeing the development of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. Headquartered at Kadavanthra, GCDA oversees the development of the major part of Greater Cochin area which consists of the Kochi Municipal Corporation, surrounding municipalities and 21 intervening panchayats covering an area of 632 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kochi</span> Brief history of Kochi

Kochi is a city located in the Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala about 200 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala.

Kochi is a major port city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city is widely known as the commercial or economic capital of the state of Kerala.

Kerala has an urbanisation rate of 47.42%, as compared to the national rate of 31.16%, making it the 2nd most urbanised major state in India. Within Kerala, the rate of urbanisation varied from 3.9% in Wayanad district to 68.1% in Ernakulam district. Municipalities are the urban local governments that deal with civic functions and local development functions in the municipal area. The state of Kerala has 87 municipalities and six municipal corporations. With 13 municipalities, the district of Ernakulam has the most municipalities in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyttila</span> Neighbourhood in Ernakulam, Kerala, India

Vyttila, IPA: [ʋɐjt̺ːilɐ], is an intersection as well as the name of a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the busiest as well as one of the largest intersections in Kerala. This node intersects the main north–south artery of the state of Kerala, namely, the Kochi Bypass, with three city roads of Kochi viz, the S. A. Road, the Vyttila-Petta Road, and the Thammanam Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaloor</span> Neighbourhood in Ernakulam, Kerala, India

Kaloor is a downtown region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is two kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Ernakulam North Railway Station. Kaloor Junction is also the name of a major intersection in this part of the city, intersecting the two major arteries of downtown Kochi, namely Banerji Road and the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road. The nearest major intersections are Palarivattom to the east and Lissie Junction to the west.

This is a list of areas and neighbourhoods in Cochin by region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administration of Kochi</span>

The city is administered by the Kochi Municipal Corporation, headed by a mayor assisted by the Secretary. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Kochi Municipal Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozhikode Municipal Corporation</span> Local civic body in Kozhikode, Kerala, India

Kozhikode Corporation is the municipal corporation that administers the city of Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala. Established in 1962, it is in the Kozhikode parliamentary constituency. The first mayor was H. Manjunatha Rao. Its four assembly constituencies are Kozhikode North, Kozhikode South, Beypore and Elathur. The Corporation is headed by a Mayor and council, and manages 118.58 km2 of the city of Kozhikode, with a population of about 609,224 within that area. Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannur Municipal Corporation</span> Local civic body in Kannur, Kerala, India

The Kannur Corporation, also known as Corporation of Cannanore, is the municipal corporation that administers the city of Kannur (Cannanore), Kerala. Established in 2015, the Corporation's first mayor was E. P. Latha. Kannur Corporation has two assembly constituencies – Kannur and Azhikode – both of which are part of the Kannur parliamentary constituency. The Corporation is headed by a Mayor and council, and manages 78.35 km2 of Kannur city, with a population of about 232,486 within that area. Kannur Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.

Soumini Jain is an Indian politician. She served as the mayor of Cochin Corporation between 2015 and 2020. She belongs to the Congress. On the council, Soumini represented the municipal corporation's 36th division (Elamkulam).

References

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