The Planning Department is represented
in the district by the District Statistical Officer, assisted by a Techanical
Assistant and other ministerial and Class IV staff. The additional staff,
comprising an Inspector, National Sample Survey, and 4 Junior Field
Investigators, was provided for the National SurveyScheme.
The
main functions of the District Statistical Officer are to co-ordinate the
statistical activities of different departments at the district level and to
publish the statistical data, to undertake adhoc
socio-economic surveys, to compile, analyze and interpret the data, and to
publish the reports to acquaint the Government with the results, to collect
price data for supplying to different Central and State agencies, to collect
weekly retail prices and to act as a store-house of statistics to Government
institutions and the interested public.
the
Language Department is represented at the district level by the District
Language Officer, who is assisted by one Inspector, besides ministerial and
Class IV staff.
The
main functions of the District Language Officer are to popularize the Punjabi
language in the district, to hold classes for teaching Punjabi/Hindi to
Government employees, to organize classes in Punjabi type-writing and
shorthand, and to assist the Government offices in translating pamphlets/books
in Punjabi.
CHAPTER XIV
|
(a) |
|
|
(b) |
|
|
(c) |
|
|
(d) |
(a) Evolution of Local self-Government in the District
Any detailed
discussion about the evolution of the municipal administration duing ancient, medieval
and Mughal periods will be beyond the scope of this gazetteer. However, it may
be said that the municipal administration was not altogether non-existent in
the country during these periods. The Amritsar District had no important town,
worth the name, that could boast of having ever enjoyed in the past the
benefits of local self-government in the modern sense of the world. Moreover,
the district was so close to lahore-an important and powerful provincial
capital in north-west India-that Amritsar, or any other town in the district,
could hardly rival its importance.
Amritsar was founded
by Guru Ram Das during the time of Akbar. The town was developed by the
successive Gurus as the holiest Sikh eligious place and as an important
trading-centre.
The municipal
administration in the Punjab in the present form owes its origin to the
British. Municipalities in the Punjab in the present form owes its origin to
theBritish. Municipalities were not constituted in the towns on merits. The
introduction of municipal administration also did not signify any marked change
in the pattern of British administration by associating the local population
with the running of local self-government. The British constituted
municipalities, keeping many factors in view. The main factor, inter alia, at least in the towns of the
Punjab was of military nature. The British army, while crossing or entering the
towns of the Punjab on expeditious or otherwise, faced considerable
difficulties in getting clean drinking-water. Consequently, the soldiers
contracted infectious diseases which affected their health and efficiency. The
Government of India Act XXVI of 1850, therefore, permitted the formation of
local committees to make better provisions for public health and sanitation and
to raise taxes for the said purpose. The legislative provision, however, was
conditioned by the fact that the action should be taken on the application of
the inhabitants. The Royal Army Sanitary Commission in its report in 1863
invited pointed attention to the
unhealthy conditions of the towns. Prompt action was taken by the Punjab
Government in pursuance of the recommendations and, under the Punjab Act XV of
1867, the voluntary provision for the constitution of municipalities was
dropped and the Provincial Government assumed necessary powers to set up
committees to look after water-supply, lighting, sanitation, etc. of the towns.
The said Act further permitted the election of a number of members of the
municipal committees with the permission of the Provincial Government. The
measures proved useful in improving the sanitary conditions in the towns. The
Amritsar Municipality was formed in 1868 under the said Act.
Lord
Mayo’s resolution on provincial finances, which encouraged the general
application o the principle of election to the local bodies, was another step
in the development of local self-government in India. The Punjab Act of 1873,
passed in pursuance of the above resolution, made the membership of the
municipal bodies permissive by elections.
During
the initial stage, the system of local self-government could by no means be
said to be fully democratic. The predominance of the official control gave
little chance for effective local representation or intitative. In fact, during
this phase, the accent was more on the ‘local’ rather than on the
‘self-government’aspect of the municipal administration.
The
review of the local self-government dine by the Royal Commission on
Decentralization in 1907-1909 did not embody any progressive municipal policy. The
introduction of communal electorates under the Government of India Act, 1909,
proved to be a great impediment in the growth and development of municipal
administration in the Punjab. The Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 did not introduce
any substantial changes in the municipal administration. In 1912, at the
direction of the Government of India, the appointment of a Health Officer was
made compulsory in large towns. During the period 1909-1919, there was no
significant change in the municipal administration. The Deputy Commissioner
continued to be the king-pin. The municipal committees continued to suffer from
chronic financial stringency, rigid official control and mal-administration.
The outbreak of the World War I (1914-18) adversely affected the working of the
municipalities. Thegoal of ‘political and popular education’ remained as
elusive as ever. By and large, the local self-government in the district
continued to be one of the functions of the district officer.
Under
the system of dyarchy, 1919-1937, the official control was gradually relaxed
and local bodies were made completely elective. It was desired to establish
local self-government, whereby the people would be free to manage their own
affairs. The new policy accepted the principle that the political education of
the public must take precedence over departmental efficiency. The Government of
India Act, 1919, prescribed a new scheme of taxes, which could be levied by, or
for, the local bodies. This measure not only enlarged the sphere of taxation but
also enabled th local bodies to feel independent.
The
Punjab Small Towns Act, 1922, simplified the machinery for the municipal
administration of small towns, each with a population of less than 10,000.
Under the new scheme, the town commodities consisting for all such towns. The
Punjab Municipal )Executive Officer) Act, 1931, invested the Provincial
Government with powers to appoint Executive Officers in the municipalities.
After
independence, the concept of local self-government was further changed. The
municipalities were called upon to shoulder greater responsibilities for the
municipal administration and to give the towns/cities a modern look. In the
cities, the municipalities were required to work in collaboration with the
divisional Town-Planners/Improvement Trusts. The municipalities were asked to
take necessary steps for town-planning, keeping in view the future expansion of
the cities and avoiding the creation of slums.
(b) Organization and Structure
Functions and Duties of the Munipal
Committees :- Under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, the municipal committees
are required to make reasonable provision within the limits of the municipality
for
(i)
the lighting of public
streets, places or buildings;
(ii)
the cleaning of public
streets, places and sewers and all spaces not being private property, which are
open for enjoyment by the public;
(iii)
the providing of safe
and sufficient water-supply for all domestic purposes;
(iv)
the extinguishing and
preventing of fires;
(v)
the regulating or
anating of offensive or dangerous trades or practices;
(vi)
the controlling of
public and private buildings and throughfares;
(vii)
the establishing and
managing of cattle pounds;
(viii)
the making of
dangerous or insanitary building or places secure
(ix)
the constructing,
maintaining and altering of public streets, culverts, markets, veterinary
dispensaries, slaughte-house, latrines, urinals, baths, washing-places, drains,
sewers;
(x)
the providing of
public facilities for drinking water;
(xi)
the controlling of
infectious diseases;
(xii)
the scavenging and
house-scavenging
(xiii)
the acquiring,
maintaining and regulating the burial-places and burning-places for the
disposal of the dead, unclaimed corpses of paupers;
(xiv)
the disposing of mad
and stray dogs and other animals;
(xv)
the disposing of the
dead animals;
(xvi)
the arranging of public
vaccination;
(xvii)
the registering of
births and deaths; and
(xviii)
the naming of streets
and the numbering of houses.
Before 1957, elementary education was
one of the obligatory functions of the local bodies in the Punjab. But this
system was not working satisfactorily. Charges of apathy, incompetency,
ill-treatment of teachers, religious and political bias, nepotism and other
forms of graft were levelled against the local bodies. Generally, the municipal
bodies had not developed and adequate sense of civic responsibility in the
field of education. In view of these factors, all municipal schools-primary,
middle and high-in the State were provincialized in October 1957. The
municipalities have since been required to pay a fixed contribution to the
Government in lieu of this obligation.
Amritsar Municipality
[ area : 33.67 sq. km. Population (1961) : 376295]
At
the time of the annexation of the Punjab by the British in 1849, Amritsar was
the biggest town in the Punjab. In 1867, municipalities were formed all over
the province. The Amritsar Municipal Committee was constituted as a First-Class Municipal Committee, vide Punjab Government Notification No.
950, dated the 6th April, 1968. The municipality was governed by the
Act XV of 1867.
The
municipal committee, as formed at that time, consisted of an ex-officio member (vide Punjab Government circular No. 16-1003 of 1867), together with
24 non-official members, of whom 6 were nominated from among the European
residents of the town, 6 from among the native residents and 12 were elected.
Minor changes were introduced in the municipal administration by the Acts of
1872 and 1882. The Act XIII of 1887 provided a vital basis for the municipal
election system. The Acts of 1891 and 1911, however, did nit introduce any material
changes in the basic principles of municipal administration.
After
independence, new election rules were framed in 1952 (known as the Municipal
Election Rules, 1952) to make municipal committees wholly elective bodies. In
1969, the Amritsar Municipality consisted of 45 elected members.
The
municipality has an Executive Officer who is appointed at a meeting, specially
convened for the purposes, by a 5/8 majority of he members and after the formal
approval of the Government. This is a tenure post, but is renewable for a
period of 5 years.
The
different branches of the municipal Committee, Amritsar, under the
administrative control of the Executive Officer, are; the General Branch under
the Office Superintendent; the Accounts Branch under the Head Accountant; the
Octroi Branch under the Octroi superintendent; the Tax-Collection Branch under
the Tax Superintendent; the Municipal Press under the Press Superintendent; the
Municipal Library under the Librarian; the Municipal Gardens under the Garden
Superintendent; the official in charge Water Section; the Health Branch under
the Medical Officer of Health; the Legal branch under the Legal Adviser;
Municipal Magistrate; the Fire Brigade Section under the Assistant Divisional
Fire Officer; the City Water works under a Superintendent; the Head Water Works
under the Assistant Superintendent (Public health); the Electricity Department
under the Chief Electrical Engineer; the Municipal Zanana Hospital under the
Medical Superintendent; and the Dispensaries under the Medical Officers.
The
limits of the Amritsar Municipality were extended in 1908 and 1936, vide Punjab Government Notification No.
329, dated May 28, 1908 and No. 3032-C-36/29632, dated October 31, 1936
respectively. The municipal bye-laws were enforced from 1912. A list of these
is given in Appendix I bye-laws were enforced from 1912. A list of these is
given in Appendix I on pages 444-45. The water-supply was introduced in 1904;
the drainage system was introduced in the city in 1912; the supply of electricity
was undertaken in 1915; and the underground drainage was introduced in 1951.
Water-Supply
:- The Amritsar Water-Supply Scheme, using
wells, was approved in 1902 at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,25,000 for supplying
1 ¼ million gallons of water per day.
The
sites of the wells were approved and selected between the two railway lines,
viz. The Amritsar-Pathhankot and the Amritsar-Delhi lines. Forty wells were
sunk, 12 along the Amritsar-Delhi railway line ans 28 along the
Amritsar-Pathankot railway line. Each well is 12 feet in diameter, 124 feet
apart from another and another and were sunk up to depth of 60-70 feet below
the ground surface. The total supply was nearly 1 ¼ million gallons per day for
the estimated population of 1,60,000. The average supply of eight gallons per
person per day stood gradually decreased consequent upon the increase in
population. New tube-wells had, therefore, to be installed. At present, there
are 40 shallow wells and 52 tube-wells. Apart from these, there are 580 public
water hydrants. The water-supply position in the Amritsar city is quite
satisfactory. The annual expenditure of the municipality on the maintenance of
the water-supply system in the city comes to over 9 lakhs kof rupees.
Paving
of Streets :- before the partition of 1947,
most of the streets in the new abadis
were kachcha. By 1967, almost all of
these were made pucca. The streets
inside the city had already been paved with bricks. A few of them were paved
with cement concrete. New colonies improved by the Improvement Trust have also
paved streets. The streets of the areas developed by certain persons in their
lands, however, remain unpaved.
Drainage
and Sewerage :- Originally, the drainage of
the city was effected with central surface drains. The straight drains of the
houses fell into the central surface drain. The streets were extremely narrow
and sloped to the centre. This drainage system was the result of indigenous
effort. The city of Amritsar was almost remidelled during the last two decades
of the nineteenth century. During this period, people had developed new outlook
and had started constructing houses outside the walled city, as the ditch along
the wall had been filled up with debris. People also started constructing the
side-surface drains by giving slopes on both the sides of a street. It was,
however, after 1912 that the side drains were constructed by the municipality
in the city. The new abadis, however,
had no drainage system. Up to 1951, no steps were taken by the Municipal Committee
to introduce underground drainage. After 1951, underground drainage was
introduced into the new abadis of the
city, Civil Lines and the Lawrence Road. By 1969, most of the new abadis and the city outside the walled
city were covered. The municipality has chalked out a master plan of trunk
sewer and some important branch sewer have been prepared. By 1969, the
municipality had laid 80 km. of sewers. In some of the area of the city, viz.
the Race-Course Road upto the Mental Hospital, R.C.C. sewer (well-sinking) have
been laid below the spring level, and they have cost abnormally high. On laying
80 kilometers on 6” to 15” SW pipes and R.C.C. sewer from 24” to 57”, the
expenditure has exceeded Rs. 50,00,000. At present, the final method is by
broad irrigation and the treatment works will be installed after the trunk main
sewer is laid.
Electricity
Department/Street Lighting :- The municipality
is a licence. It has been holding a licence since 1915 under the Indian
Electricity Act for the supply of electric energy to the city. The area of the
supply, however, is not coterminus with the municipal area like the extrended
areas, viz. Putlighar, Khalsa College, Reformatory, areas beyond the Ram Lall
Eye & E.N.T. Hospital and certain areas beyond the mental Hospital have
been excluded from the Committees areas. The municipality purchased the energy
(A.C) from the Electricity Board in bulk and supplies it to the industrial and
domestic consumers. A part of the city and the Civil Lines are fed with D.C.
supply by converting the A.C. supply with rotary converters. A reference to the
supply of electricity to the city by the municiplaity has already been nmade
above. The total capacity of theElectricity department of the Amritsar
Municipality is 32,670 K.V.A. The area getting theis facility is 18 square
miles (46.62 sq. km.).
Before
the elecrification of Amritsar, streets were lighted with big lanterns using
kerosene. These were fixed at main places according to traffic requirements.
From 1915 onwards, bulbs were installed. Amritsar had one of the best street
lighting arrangements in the State. The civil disturbances in 1947 considerably
damaged the street lighting of the city. Therefore, the municipality rearranged
the system. In 1969, there were 1468 fluroscent tubes and 8247 bulbs installed
for lighting within the municipal area.
Public
Health :-The Municipality has a Medical
Officer in charge of the Municipal Health Department. The conservancy staff
consists of 843 sweepers, 149 refuse cart-drivers, 49 jamadars, 29 refuse lorry-drivers, 87 truck trollies and 92 refuse
carts and night-soil carts.
The
Amritsar Municipal Committee has regular arrangements for the removal and
disposal of the night-soil and city waste. Rubbish from the city is removed to
the depots and, after conserving, manure is sold to the farmers. The watering
of roads is done regularly with watering-lorries and hand-driven sprinlers.
There are 21 sets of flush-type latrines with 196 seats and 14 sets of dry
latrines with 148 seats, besides 64 seats of public urinals.
Formerly,
there was a tramway around the city and it carried rubbish in the trollies
attached to the engines from the fifth depots in the walled city tso the fifth
depots situated outside the city at a long distance. This system was a great
nuisance and was responsible for spreading infectious diseases in the city. The
filth depots being too near the city were closed. Rubbish is now taken direct
to the filth depots quite away from city.
Roads:- The municipality has made
good progress regarding the
construction of roads. There are 151.25 km. of
kachaha/pucca metalled roads,
for the maintenance of which about 10 lakhs of rupees are spent annually.
Plans for beautifying Amritsar- The
Amritsar Municipality has chalked out a special programme for beautifying the
city. The central-verge street lights and automatic signals have installed at
all the crossings on the Mall. The various gardens and parks around the city
are being renovated. The fountains, and also the lights in the rose plots and
over the rockery within the historic
Ram Bagh have been renovated. Dr. Shyama Parsad Mukerji Park ( formerly known
as Gol Bagh) has also renovated, underground street lights have been provided
and multi- coloured fountaons have been
fitted.
Lohgarh Project:- The doubled-road and the central-verge street
lighting and automatic traffic signal, just as on the Mall, have been completed
from Lohgarh Gate crossing towards Durgiana Temple and also towards the Beri
Gate. This system has also been extended to the Lahori Gate.
Besides,
many other roads, viz. Dr. Surat Singh Road, the Joshipura Road, the Fatehgarh
Road, the Ibban Road, the Putlighar Road, the Islamabad Road, etc. have been
widened, raised and tarred.
There
are certain roads on which the traffic was so heavy that the tarred roads could
not be maintained. The road along the Punjab Roadways Office, the Dhab Wasti
Ram Road, the Nimak Mandi Road, the Swank Mandi Road, and the Kaulsar Road
have, thus, been constructed with cement concrete.
Foot-pathe
Putlighar Bazzar, along the Jwala Flour-Mills, on the Lawrence Road, the Serai
Bhagwan Dass Road, the Cemetery Road, the Putlighar, the Inner Circular Road,
the Khazana Gate and the Ram Bagh Gate Road have all been constructed with
cement concrete.
Municipal Parks :- The municipality
maintains the historic Ram Bagh, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hall and several
subsidiary buildings in which clubs are housed. Ram bagh, popularly known as the
Company Bagh, is the best garden in the State and the municipality spends over
2 lakhs of rupees on its maintenance. The other important parks maintained by
the municipality are the Seth Radha Kishan Park outside the Chatiwind Gate and
the Gol Bagh outside the Hathi Gate and the Hall Gate. The municipality also
maintains a number of parks along the Circular Road.
Libraries :- The municipality maintains
a library in the Hall Bazaar and 24 reading-rooms in different parts of the
city. Pandit Moti Lal Nehru Municipal Library, stocking about 30000 books, is
the biggest municipal library in the state.
The
income and expenditure of the Municipality are given below:
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1960-61 |
12477531 |
10968759 |
|
1961-62 |
12644266 |
12968254 |
|
1962-63 |
15160757 |
14652042 |
|
1963-64 |
14649398 |
14869466 |
|
1964-65 |
16373687 |
16152555 |
|
1965-66 |
14544789 |
15221398 |
|
1966-67 |
18561985 |
17566099 |
|
1967-68 |
19745250 |
20418795 |
[ Area : 2.59 sq. km. Population
(1961) : 7142]
A second-class municipality was constituted at Khem Karan in 1868. The municipal committee consisted of 6 members in 1914-15, 2 nominated (including one of the Kamboh owners), and 4 elected. Before the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1965, the town was divided into eight wards, each of which was represented by an elected member. From November 1967, the town has been divided into ten wards, one of which forms a double-member constituency. The number of elected members has, thus, been raised to 11, out of which one is elected President and another Vice-President.
Previously,
the town had three pucca bazaars and a boundary wall, with eight gates. The
town was almost completely destroyed during the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1965.
Through self-help and with Government grants, the residents have practically
reconstructed the town. The Government buildings have also been rebuilt. The
town was re-electrified in May 1966. The municipality has installed 135
lighting points in the town . the state Public Health Department has also
completed waterworks in Khem Karan at a cost of Rs. 7,00,000.
The
municipality levies only octroi and house tax. It maintains a 1.5 km. Length of
roads. The side-surface drainage system was introduced in 1914. After the
Indo-Pak Conflict, underground drainage was introduced into Government
buildings. The municipality has opened a small library-cum-reading room in the
town.
For
cleanliness, the municipality has employed 9 scavengers and 8 handicarts for
the disposal of refuse.
The
income and expenditure of the municipality are given below:
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1961-62 |
35074 |
34852 |
|
1966-67 |
64059 |
32196 |
|
1967-68 |
39808 |
53221 |
|
1968-69 |
73991 |
60773 |
|
1964-65 |
16373687 |
16152555 |
[ Area : 2.59 sq. km. Population
(1961) : 15833]
Patti,
formerly a part of the Kasur Tahsil of the Lahore District (Pakistan) and
transferred to the Amritsar District in August 1947, was a second-class municipality
from 1874 to 1912-13, when it was reduced to the status of a notified area. Its
boundaries were fixed by Government Notifications, dated September 25, 1912,
and May 3, 1913. It was again raised to a second-class municipality, vide Notification No. 24253/LSG, dated
August 26, 1926. The boundaries were also again fixed, vide Punjab Government Notification No. 24093, dated August 25,
1926. Bye-laws were introduced in 1927. A list of these is given in Appendix II
on page 446.
In 1913, the Notified Area Committee, Patti, had five members appointed by the Government, whereas in 1962, the Committee had 9 elected members (including one Scheduled Caste elected from the double-member constituency). In 1969, there were 13 elected members. The term of election is 3 years.
The municipality employs 31 scavengers for the disposal of refuse. It maintains a tractor trolley and two carts for the purpose.
Patti was electrified in 1951. The municipality has installed 386 lighting points in the streets. It maintains 6.53 km. Of roads within the municipal limits.
The main taxes imposed by the municipality are octroi, house tax, cinema-show tax, toll tax, building-application tax etc.
The Patti Municipal Committee runs a Civil Dispensary, a Maternity Hospital and a Family-Planning Centre. The annual expenditure on these comes to over Rs. 20,000. The municipality has constructed a bus-stand a Patti and 21 shops at three places. These are a regular source of income.
The income and expenditure of the municipality are as under:
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1960-61 |
171272 |
155794 |
|
1961-62 |
184904 |
193945 |
|
1962-63 |
170619 |
189317 |
|
1963-64 |
195900 |
195178 |
|
1964-65 |
239487 |
186803 |
|
1965-66 |
250792 |
232590 |
|
1966-67 |
264929 |
320190 |
|
1967-68 |
251594 |
258842 |
|
1968-69 |
362294 |
317412 |
[ Area : 4.04 sq. km. Population
(1961) : 11915]
The
municipality fortunes of Jandiala Guru have considerably varied. A full fledged
municipality in 1912, it was reduced to a notified area in 1916; but it again
became a second-class municipality in
1929 and comprised 12 members, of whom 9 were elected and 3 were nominated.
1964, the strength of the elected members was raised to 13.
The
limits of the municipality fixed in 1927 were revised in 1937. These were again
revised in 1962, vide punjab
Government Notification No. S.O.1969/PA-3/II/S.7/62, dated August 6, 1962. The
bye-laws were introduced in 1936. A list of these is given in Appendix III on
page 447.
Previously,
the streets of Jandiala Guru were paved with old type small bricks. The
municipality had now taken up the reflooring of the streets with standard
bricks.
Previously,
the streets of Jandiala Guru hadf central surface drain. In 1952 the
municipality began the construction of side surface drains. By 1969, all the
streets were remodelled with side-surface drains at a cost of over two lakhs of
rupees.
The
sullage water is collected in a tank and, through pumping-sets, it is used for
irrigation. The municipality realizes annually over Rs. 6,000 from its auction.
The
street lighting was provided in Jandiala Guru by the municipal committee in
1946 with 100 lighting points. By 1969, the number of points was raised to 236.
The
municipal committee employed 28 scavengers for scavenging. Four bullock-carts
are maintained for removing the rubbish. After preparing the compost from the
night-soil, the municipality sell it for more than Rs. 5,000 annually.
The
municipal committee has also set up a library.
In 1965, the municipality constructed a building at a cost of Rs. 61,000 (including Rs. 45,000 as grant from the Government) on the land donated by the public. In that building, the Government have started a Civil Maternity Hospital with 25 beds. The municipality has also constructed a bus stand at a cost of Rs. 18,000.
The
taxes levied by the municipality comprise octroi, toll tax, house tax, vehicle
tax and cinema-show tax.
The income and expenditure of the
municipality are given below:-
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1961-62 |
246228 |
140307 |
|
1962-63 |
263770 |
144640 |
|
1963-64 |
288279 |
169376 |
|
1964-65 |
235832 |
153285 |
|
1965-66 |
224400 |
194204 |
|
1966-67 |
185486 |
187885 |
|
1967-68 |
180023 |
157749 |
Amritsar
Tran
Taran has had a chequered municipal history. It was made a municipality as long
as 1886, but was reduced to the status of a notified area in 1915 and to that of
a small town in 1924. It became a second-class municipality again after ten
years in 1934, vide Punjab Government
Notification No. 1429, dated November 1, 1934. Its limits were also enlarged in
1934. The bye-laws were introduced in 1939, vide
Notification No. 123. A list of these is given in Appendix IV on page 448.
In
the beginning, the municipality had 9 members, of whom 2 were nominated. By
1969, their number had been raised to 15.
A
water-supply scheme was introduced in 1961 at a cost of 5.05 lakhs of rupees.
The water-supply has been extended to three-fourth of the town.
The town was electrified in 1934. The
municipality has installed 496 electric points for stret-lighting. It has
employed 68 scavengers for the cleanliness of the town. For the removal of
refuse and night-soil, one tractor, three trollies and one bullock-cart are
used. The night-soil, one tractor, three trollies and one bullock-cart are
used. The night-soil is deposited in compost pits and sold by auction fetching
an income of Rs. 3500 per year. A road length of 9 kilometres (7 km. Pucca and
2 km. Kachacha) is maintained by the municipality.
There
is no underground drainage system in the town. The Government buildings have,
however, been provided with underground drainage at a cost of rupees two lakhs.
The
main taxes levied by the municipality are house tax, cinema-show tax, rickshaw
tax, pilgrim tax and the building-application tax. Tarn Taran is a historical
town and a place of pilgrimage because of the famous gurdwara constructed by Guru Arjan Dev. People visit it in large
numbers wvery month on the Amavas to
have a dip into the holy tank. The municipality levies a pilgrim tax at the
rate of two paise per pilgrim. The amount is realized through the railway
authorities and comes to about Rs. 7000 per annum. Besides, the municipality
has constructed 92 shops in the town and their annual rent amounts to about Rs.
35000.
The
municipality runs a library in the town. The income and expenditure of the
municipality are given hereunder:
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1960-61 |
461637 |
482156 |
|
1961-62 |
499017 |
518133 |
|
1962-63 |
456755 |
439265 |
|
1963-64 |
453000 |
396256 |
|
1964-65 |
429425 |
3844875 |
|
1965-66 |
476720 |
535679 |
|
1966-67 |
547398 |
472038 |
|
1967-68 |
544012 |
586599 |
|
1968-69 |
657357 |
630932 |
[ Area : 0.21 sq. km. Population
(1961) : 6973]
The municipal Committee, Majitha, was constituted in 1924, as a second-class municipality. Even though Majitha had a previous municipal history, the bye-laws were introduced in 1957. A list of these is given in Appendix V on page 449.
The
Committee has 11 elected members, out of which one is elected President and
another Vice-President.
The
municipality has employed 12 scavengers for the cleanliness of the town. For
removing the refuse and night-soil, a bullock-cart and five wheel-barrows are
maintained. The night-soil is deposited in the compost pits and later sold by
auction which fetches an annual income of Rs. 3000 to 4000.
Majitha
was electrified was electrified in 1957-58. For street-lighting, 136
lighting-points have been installed.
Most
of the streets of the town still have central surface drains. The new streets
and the bazaars have side surface drainage. The sullage water is not properly
utilised and is released into low-lying lands outside the town.
The
Municipal Committee has also introduced underground drainage in the bazaars of
the town, but it has not yet started functioning.
The
Municipal Committee runs a library. It also maintains one kilometre of metalled
roads.
The
income and expenditure of the municipality are as under:
|
Year |
Income (Rs) |
Expenditure (Rs.) |
|
1960-61 |
34829 |
33678 |
|
1961-62 |
189152 |
175076 |
|
1962-63 |
132963 |
130984 |
|
1963-64 |
53494 |
64447 |
|
1964-65 |
47618 |
42362 |
|
1965-66 |
49886 |
45543 |
|
1966-67 |
28077 |
26899 |
|
1967-68 |
81001 |
61781 |
|
1968-69 |
55374 |
59520 |