The Erode City Municipal Corporation Act, 2008

What the Act does

The Erode City Municipal Corporation Act, 2008 converts the local area within Erode Municipality into the City of Erode and establishes the Erode City Municipal Corporation. The Corporation is a corporate body that can acquire, hold and dispose of property, enter into contracts, and sue or be sued.

The State Government may alter the limits of the City after consulting the Corporation and publishing the proposal beforehand. Areas may therefore be included in or excluded from the City through a notification.

Municipal administration

The Erode City Municipal Corporation Act, 2008 identifies the municipal authorities as a Mayor, Council, Standing Committee, Wards Committee and Commissioner. The provision listing these authorities was substituted by Tamil Nadu Act 38 of 2008.

Key Council provisions include:

• The State Government may fix the number of elected councillors by notification, subject to a maximum of seventy-two.
• Members of Parliament and members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing relevant constituencies may participate in Council proceedings but cannot vote at Council meetings.
• Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their populations in the City, as nearly as possible.
• At least one-third of the relevant reserved seats are reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• At least one-third of all Council seats are reserved for women, including those reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• The Corporation normally continues for five years from its first meeting after an ordinary election.

Existing taxes, permissions and property

The Erode City Municipal Corporation Act, 2008 preserves continuity when the Municipality becomes the Corporation:

• Municipal property, rights, interests and legally existing liabilities vest in the Corporation, subject to State Government directions.
• Outstanding municipal taxes and other payments may be recovered by the Corporation.
• Existing taxes, fees and duties continue until revised, cancelled or superseded.
• Existing licences, permissions, schemes, rules, bye-laws, notices and orders continue so far as they are consistent with the Act, until replaced.
• Existing proceedings may continue by or against the Corporation.

Relevance to property owners and buyers

Property owners and buyers within the City of Erode may continue to be affected by municipal taxes, fees, licences, permissions and schemes that were already in force. The Act also extends the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation Act, 1981 provisions, including those concerning the levy and collection of taxes and fees, to the Erode City Municipal Corporation.