Notified Area

Introduction

There are several levels of administration assigned for various tasks in the federal system, and urban bodies are the fundamental elements in the structure. Urban bodies like a notified area or a town area committee are forms of polity that handle various tasks in an urban area with a specific population. 

The district administration bodies assign various tasks to the urban bodies depending on the demand of the areas. The duties of an urban body include urban and town planning, implementation of land regulations, managing public health and sanitation, safeguarding the interests of the weaker class, etc.

Different Administrative Bodies in India

India follows the federal structure of governance. So, the entire country has one administrative department (the central government) that takes care of the country’s overall development. Additionally, each state of the country has individual departments (the State Government) that administer the developmental and public needs of the respective state. 

The states further have smaller divisions called districts. Each area or district is categorised as rural, urban, or semi-urban based on several factors like population, area, etc. Different administrative committees are assigned for the development of each area based on its needs, and all rural bodies and urban bodies are examples of these administrative committees.

Types of Urban Bodies

• Municipal Corporation: A municipal corporation is a polity in charge of the administrative functions of large cities with a population of more than one million (for example, Kolkata, Delhi, or Mumbai Municipal Corporation).
• Municipality: A municipality is a polity in charge of the administrative functions of towns and comparatively smaller cities.
• Notified Area Committee: A notified area committee is an urban body in charge of the administrative functions of a notified area.
• Town Area Committee: A town area committee is an urban body in charge of the administrative functions of a town.
• Cantonment Board: A cantonment board is a particular form of polity dedicated entirely to administering a cantonment area in India.
• Port Trust: Port trusts are urban bodies in charge of carrying out various administrative tasks in the port areas of India (for example, Kolkata Port Trust).

Town Area Committee

The state legislature passed an act that approved the establishment of town area committees. A town area committee is an urban body that deals with various tasks required to develop a small town. Town area committees are administrative bodies for the semi-urban and town areas and are an integral part of the Indian federal structure.

Town area committees function for an area and a population much smaller than those under municipalities or municipal corporations. Accordingly, the tasks handled by this polity are more straightforward. A town area committee has the administrative responsibility to handle civic tasks such as drainage and roads in a small town. They also manage the structural development of the town with elements like street lighting.

Definition of Notified Area

When the government assigns a notice about a semi-urban area with a specific population, it is called a notified area. An area becomes a notified area for two main reasons – 

The area or town has been showing accelerated growth in terms of industrialisation.

The area or town does not meet one or more of the necessary criteria required for the assignment of a municipality. Still, it holds a place of significance according to the state.

Notified Area Committee

State governments establish notified area committees to undertake the administrative responsibilities of a notified area. A notification passed by the government gazette marks a notified area as an essential semi-urban element. A notified area committee implements several provisions of the specified State Municipal Act that the notification issued by the gazette mentions. 

The State government nominates the committee members, including the chairman, in this unique form of polity. Hence, a notified area committee is not a statutory body or an elected council. However, the powers of the polity are equivalent to those of a municipality. The State government has the right to provide specific powers to the committee under another act.

Functions of a Notified Area Committee

• A notified area committee takes care of the administrative responsibilities of a notified area.
• The committee will undertake the responsibility of developing infrastructure in an area if the area shows exponential growth in the industry.
• The committee carries out civic responsibilities like developing drainage systems and roads.
• Structural developments like adding street lights also fall under the task list of the committee. 

The state can assign more responsibilities to a notified area committee based on the specific requirements of an area.

Conclusion

India is the biggest democracy in the world. It has a remarkable quasi-federal structure that assigns appropriate administrative bodies explicitly designed to serve the needs of the area. The system of marking an area as a potentially crucial part of the country based on its growth enables it to identify and nurture new economic centres.