Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, Zonal Offices in TMC

Thiruvananthapuram is administered by a municipal corporation headed by a mayor. The mayor is elected from among the 100 councillors, representing 100 wards covering an area of 214 sq. km., elected to the corporation for five years. Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation (TMC), located in Vazhuthacaud, has its roots in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipality which was established in 1920 by Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. It was renamed as the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation in 1940 and moved into its present premises in 1966. The first mayor of the city was C O Madhavan. The TMC is governed by the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994. The 74th constitutional amendment has also enhanced its powers.

Council hall of Trivandrum Municipal Corporation

Departments of Trivandrum Municipal Corporation

Executive

The mayor presides over council meetings and oversees administration. He is assisted by a deputy mayor who is also chairman of the finance standing committee. A secretary appointed by the state government deals with day to day functioning of the corporation. The council also constitutes various standing committees to deal with various administrative issues.

To enable administration in the city, the council constitutes various standing committees. They include the steering committee which consist of the mayor, deputy mayor and chairmen of the various standing committees and oversees their functioning and coordination with ach other; the finance standing committee which prepares the annual budget and supervises collection and expenditure; the development standing committee which prepares development plans; welfare standing committee which deals with women and children and SC/ST affairs; and standing committee which deal with public health; public works, town planning and heritage, taxation and education and sports.

Administrative Wing

The secretary is in charge of the administrative wing of the corporation. He implements policy decisions taken by the council and reports to the mayor. The secretary oversees general administration which deals with recruitment and postings; accounts which deals with expenditure and preparation of the annual budget; engineering which oversees public works and construction projects such as complexes and bus terminal and other departments dealing with revenue collection, health and town planning.

Institutions

The TMC also manages a number of institutions such as primary and secondary health care centres, primary and high schools, vocational training centres and institutions dealing with social welfare, agriculture, dairy, fisheries and animal husbandry.

Zonal Offices

The TMC has created six zonal offices for better administration of the city. These offices are located in EastFort, Kadakampally, Nemom, Ulloor, Attipra and Thiruvallom. They mostly deal with tax assessment and collection, trade licenses, issuing of building permits, sanitation and other localised problems.

Services

The services provided by the TMC to the citizens of Thiruvananthapuram include laying of water and sewerage pipes, solid waste management, primary health care centres, and women and child welfare, collection of property taxes and town planning. E-governance initiatives include issuing birth, death and marriage certificates and property tax payment.