The Directorate of Urban Affairs (formerly Department of Municipal Administration) was formed in 1962 by the bifurcation of the erstwhile Department of Local Bodies into Department of Municipal Administration and Department of Panchayats for better efficient administration and policy of decentralization of powers. The Department of Municipalities has been later renamed as Department of Urban Affairs with effect from 16-12-2002.
This Department is concerned with the administration of Municipalities and Municipal Corporations ( together called Urban Local Bodies ) in Kerala. There are 93 Urban Local Bodies in Kerala including 6 Municipal Corporations and 87 Municipalities. This Department functions under the Kerala Municipality Act 1994 which is a unified Act for Municipalities and Corporations based on 74th Amendment of the constitution of India. The Act was amended in different occasion, major amends are made in 1999, 2009 2010. The Department of Urban Affairs with the Director as the head functions as the controlling authority of entire Urban Local Bodies in their working. The Director exercises the powers delegated to him by the Government.The Department is supervising the entire work of the Urban Local Bodies. It is the coordinating agency as regards the implementation of Schemes under Five year Plan, Payment and monitoring various funds such as Development Funds (Plan Funds), General Purpose Fund, Maintenance Fund etc. The Director of Urban Affairs is the inspecting authority in respect of all Municipal bodies. He is the appointing and disciplinary authority of all staff in the Kerala Municipal Common Service, except the staff of Engineering Wing (Since they are placed in the LSGD Engineering Department) & Health Officers of Urban Local Bodies. Hence the Department of Urban Affairs headed by the Director of Urban Affairs is the overall controlling authority of the Municipalities & Municipal Corporations in Kerala State.
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