Before 1905, Bihar was a part of British East India Company's Bengal Presidency. In 1905 the Bengal Presidency was divided and created two new provinces: East Bengal and West Bengal. Until then Bihar was part of West Bengal. Again West Bengal and East Bengal reunited in 1911 but the people of Bihar and Orrisa demanded a separate province based on language rather than religion. In 1912 Bihar and Orissa Province was created separating from Bengal Presidency. In 1936, Bihar and Orrisa Province divided into two new provinces: Bihar Province and Orissa Province.
Bihar and Orissa Province
Following Divisions were included in Bihar and Orissa Province when it separated from Bengal Presidency in 1912:
Bhagalpur Division (districts of Bhagalpur, Munger (Monghyr), Purnea and the Santhal Parganas)
Structurally Bihar is divided into divisions (Pramandal), districts (Zila), sub-divisions (Anumandal) & circles (Aanchal).The state is divided into nine divisions, 38 districts, 101 subdivisions and 534 circles.[1] 17 municipal corporations, 84 Nagar Parishads and 151 Nagar Panchayats,[2][3][4][5][6] for administrative purposes.
As per Census 2011, Bihar is the second least urbanised state in the country, with a rate of urbanisation of 11.3%, as compared to the national rate of 31.16%.[9][10] The state has 139 StatutoryTowns and 60 Census Towns.[11]
As per a 2017 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Bihar carry out 12 out of 18 functions, and the remaining 6 are carried out by Bihar state government departments.[18] The Fifth Bihar State Finance Commission report states that the ULB funds are ‘grossly inadequate for their assigned functions, they are unable to utilize even that’.[19]
The Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 creates the following categories of urban areas based on their population. All three types of urban areas must have at least 75% of their population engaged in non-agricultural work.[17]
Types of Urban Areas according to the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007
Further, depending on the population size, the Act prescribes the minimum and maximum number of councillors/wards allowed within each type of local government.
Minimum and Maximum number of Councillors/Wards Allowed according to the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007
Population Range
Minimum
Incremental Number
Maximum
Municipal Corporations
Above 10 lakh
67
One additional Councillor for every 75,000 above 10
lakh
75
Above 5 lakh up to 10 lakh
57
One additional Councillor for every 50,000 above 5
lakh
67
Above 2 lakh up to 5 lakh
45
One additional Councillor for every 25,000 above 2
lakh
57
Municipal Council
Class 'A' Municipal Council
42
One additional Councillor for every 15,000 above
1,50,000
45
Class 'B' Municipal Council
37
One additional Councillor for every 10,000 above 1
lakh
42
Class 'C' Municipal Council
25
One additional Councillor for every 5,000 above
40, 000
37
Nagar Panchayat
Nagar Panchayat
10
One additional Member for every 2,000 above 12,000
25
The Act mentions the following key positions as well as committees for ULBs:
Municipal Commissioner, Controller of Municipal Finances and Accounts, Municipal Internal Auditor, Chief Municipal Engineer, Municipal Architect and Town Planner, Chief Municipal Health Officer, Municipal Law Officer, Municipal Secretary, three Additional Municipal commissioners
Such number of Joint Municipal Commissioners or Deputy Municipal Commissioners or Deputy Chief Municipal Engineers as the Empowered Standing Committee may, from time to time, determine,
Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 mandates the establishment of Ward Committees through the Bihar Urban Local Body (Community Participation) Rules, 2013.[20] Section 31 of the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 mandates the establishment of Ward Committees for each ward of a municipality.[17] The ward level elected councillor would be the chairperson of their respective Ward Committee. Up to 10 representatives from the civil society belonging to the ward would be nominated into the committee by the ULB.
Even though the creation of ward committees is mandated in municipalities, they have not been formed in Bihar.[21]
The Patna High Court (Hindi: पटना उच्च न्यायालय) is the High Court of the state of Bihar and was established on 9 February 1916 and later affiliated under the Government of India Act 1915. The Patna High Court is the principle civil courts in Bihar. However, a high court exercises its original civil and criminal jurisdiction only if the subordinate courts are not authorized by law to try such matters for lack of pecuniary, territorial jurisdiction. High courts may also enjoy original jurisdiction in certain matters, if so designated especially in a state or federal law. The Patna High Court has 53 Judges which includes 40 permanent and 13 additional judges.
City Courts
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