List of Blocks in Bihar

Municipal Bodies

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]

For the administration of the urban areas, Bihar has 19 municipal corporations, 88 nagar parishads (city councils), and 154 nagar panchayats (town councils).^{[12][13][14][15][16]} Bihar has one municipal act to establish and govern all municipalities in the state: Bihar Municipal Act, 2007.^[17]

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]

Further, depending on the population size, the Act prescribes the minimum and maximum number of councillors/wards allowed within each type of local government.

The Act mentions the following key positions as well as committees for ULBs:

Ward Committees

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]

High court

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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