Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 310A

What the Gazette contains

Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary Number 310A, issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu on 28 October 2013, records that three Bills were introduced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and published for public information. They are:

• Legislative Assembly Bill Number 23/2013, concerning Thanjavur City Municipal Corporation.
• Legislative Assembly Bill Number 24/2013, concerning Dindigul City Municipal Corporation.
• Legislative Assembly Bill Number 25/2013, concerning an amendment to Tamil Nadu Hindu religious and charitable endowments law.

The detailed provisions supplied relate to Legislative Assembly Bill Number 23/2013. The Bill would apply throughout Thanjavur city and would commence on a date notified by the State Government.

Proposed change for Thanjavur

Legislative Assembly Bill Number 23/2013 would create Thanjavur City Municipal Corporation for the local area then included in Thanjavur Municipality. From commencement, Thanjavur Municipality would cease to exist as a municipality.

Key provisions include:

• The corporation would have a Mayor, council, standing committee, wards committee and Commissioner.
• The council could have no more than seventy-two elected members.
• Members of Parliament and the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing relevant constituencies could participate in council proceedings but could not vote at council meetings.
• Seats would be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes broadly in proportion to their population.
• At least one-third of reserved Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe seats would be reserved for women from those communities.
• At least one-third of all council seats would be reserved for women, including the seats reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women.
• The normal corporation term would be five years unless dissolved earlier.

Effect on property administration

Legislative Assembly Bill Number 23/2013 provides continuity during the municipal transition. Property, rights, interests and liabilities belonging to Thanjavur Municipal Council would pass to the new corporation, subject to government directions.

Existing taxes, fees and assessments would continue until changed or withdrawn under the new framework. Outstanding municipal taxes and other sums could be recovered as amounts due to the corporation. Existing appointments, notifications, licences, permissions, plans, rules, orders and proceedings would also continue so far as they were not inconsistent with the proposed law.

For property owners and buyers, the main practical effect would be a change in the responsible local body, rather than automatic cancellation of existing municipal permissions, liabilities or dues.