Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation

The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation was set up on 16 March 2010 after a ruling by the Gujarat High Court in 2009. Prior to that, Gandhinagar was the only state capital in India which did not have an elected body administering it. The establishment of a Municipal Corporation to administrate and govern the city introduced municipal taxes to the residents of the city as well as made the city eligible to receive funding from the Government of India under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM).{{cite news|title=Finally, Gandhinagar gets municipal corporation status |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/finally-gandhinagar-gets-municipal-corporation-status/591788/ |date=17 March 2010|location=Gandhinagar|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2 August 2014}} The then Ministry of Urban Development at the centre, led by Saugata Roy, however refused to allot funds to the GMC under the JnNURM plan as it had already reached the maximum number of cities it could accommodate.{{cite news|title=No JNNURM cover for Gandhinagar and Karamsad, state govt fumes |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/no-jnnurm-cover-for-gandhinagar-and-karamsad-state-govt-fumes/850058/ |date=22 September 2011 |work=Express News |location=Gandhinagar |publisher=The Indian Express|access-date=4 August 2014}}

The Corporation has a council that comprises 33 seats representing various wards. The maiden election to the council was held in April 2011. The party that won majority seats in the Corporation Council was the Indian National Congress with 18 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs the state of Gujarat won 15 council members.{{cite news|title=Congress grabs Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-congress-grabs-gandhinagar-municipal-corporation-1534963 |date=22 April 2011 |location=Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad |work=Daily News and Analysis |access-date=3 August 2014}}

The election was the first in India to allow Non resident Indians (NRIs) to vote using an online platform instead of a postal ballot which was the only way non resident voters could cast their vote earlier.{{cite news|title=Election Commission of India may opt for Gujarat online model for NRI voting |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186810_1_election-commission-nris-voting-rights |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802022250/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186810_1_election-commission-nris-voting-rights |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 August 2014 |first=Ritika |last=Chopra |date=29 July 2014 |agency=ET Bureau |location=New Delhi |work=Economic Times |access-date=3 August 2014}}

The first mayor of the city was Mahendrasinh Rana, while the deputy mayor was Yusuf Parmar of the Congress, who were elected unanimously by the council.{{cite news|title=Mahendrasinh Rana is Gandhinagar mayor |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-mahendrasinh-rana-is-gandhinagar-mayor-1540805|first=Paras |last=Jha |date=8 May 2011 |location=Gandhinagar |work=DNA|access-date=4 August 2014}}

In 2012, three members of the ruling Congress, including the mayor, defected to the BJP, giving it the majority needed to run the corporation.{{cite news|title=In reverse swing, BJP 'captures' Cong-ruled GMC |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/in-reverse-swing-bjp--captures--congruled-gmc/1025024/0 |date=1 November 2012|agency=Express News Service|location=Ahmedabad |publisher=The Indian Express|access-date=6 August 2014}}

The Corporation levies Property Tax on the residents of the areas within its jurisdiction. It levies taxes based on localities and the income of the residents.{{cite news |title=GMC proposes new property tax formula |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/GMC-proposes-new-property-tax-formula/articleshow/9547890.cms |date=10 August 2011 |agency=TNN |location=Ahmedabad |work=Times of India |access-date=7 August 2014}}

{{As of|2012}}, the Corporation had a very limited role that of sanitary activities such as clearing of garbage in the city because the Government of Gujarat was yet to transfer the land under GMC jurisdiction to the corporation from the forest, roads and buildings authorities.{{cite news |title=Bereft of any role, Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation runs after property tax |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Bereft-of-any-role-Gandhinagar-Municipal-Corporation-runs-after-property-tax/articleshow/16428763.cms |date=17 September 2012 |location=Ahmedabad |work=Times of India |access-date=2 August 2014}} In 2012, the Corporation launched a facility for citizens to register grievances by sending an SMS.{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar residents can now register their complaints via SMS |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-residents-can-now-register-their-complaints-via-SMS/articleshow/11798891.cms |date=8 February 2012 |location=Ahmedabad |work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2014}}

The Corporation also runs the Fire and Emergency Services wing of Gandhinagar City.{{cite news|title=Buildings outside GMC limits have no fire NOCs |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Buildings-outside-GMC-limits-have-no-fire-NOCs/articleshow/30395028.cms |first=Paul |last=John |date=14 February 2014 |agency=TNN |location=Gandhinagar |work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2014}} The Gandhinagar Fire and Emergency Services (GFES) also operates in the three towns of Mansa, Dehgam and Kalol which fall outside GMC limits. It has a sanctioned strength of fifty firefighters but has five full-time staff.{{cite news|title=90% staff shortage burns Gandhinagar fire dept |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-90-staff-shortage-burns-gandhinagar-fire-dept-1906054 |date=20 October 2013 |location=Ahmedabad |work=Daily News and Analysis |access-date=3 August 2014}}

The GMC performs basic sanitary functions such as removal of weeds, cleaning up of garbage, cleaning up drainage systems and removal of dead animals.{{cite news|title=Cleanliness drive in Gandhinagar |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Cleanliness-drive-in-Gandhinagar/articleshow/25719881.cms |date=14 November 2013 |location=Gandhinagar |work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2014}}

Out of {{convert|62|km|mi|abbr=off}} of roads, {{convert|57|km|mi|abbr=off}} of roads come within the jurisdiction of the GMC.{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar to share cycles |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-to-share-cycles/articleshow/30531116.cms |first=Hitesh |last=Chavda |date=17 February 2014 |location=Ahmedabad |work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2014}} These roads are maintained by the Roads and Buildings Department of the Government of Gujarat. In 2011, the state government decided to rename roads in the city. It was rumoured by officials that this was done to prevent the Congress-led corporation from naming roads after their leaders.{{cite news|title=Roads in Gandhinagar to get proper names, finally |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-roads-in-gandhinagar-to-get-proper-names-finally-1542387 |first=Paras |last=Jha |date=12 May 2011 |location=Gandhinagar |work=Daily News and Analysis |access-date=3 August 2014}}

Unlike the neighbouring city of Ahmedabad, buses are run in the city by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), private player VTCOS and the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS).{{cite news|title=Now, AMTS bus will take you to Gandhinagar |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-now-amts-bus-will-take-you-to-gandhinagar-1303677 |date=27 October 2009 |location=Ahmedabad |work=Daily News and Analysis |access-date=3 August 2014}}

Water Supply to the city was earlier handled by the Gujarat Water Supply And Sewerage Board (GWSSB). After the formation of the corporation, the GMC took over water supply and planned to install water meters across all consumer premises.{{cite news|title=Gandhinagar water to be metered soon |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gandhinagar-water-to-be-metered-soon/articleshow/12127806.cms |first=Himanshu |last=Kaushik |date=4 March 2012 |agency=TNN|location=Gandhinagar |work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2014}}

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Category:Municipal corporations in Gujarat

Category:2010 establishments in Gujarat

Category:Organizations established in 2010

Category:Gandhinagar