Thiruvananthapuram Corporation

Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation (തിരുവനന്തപുരം നഗരസഭ) is the oldest and the largest (by area and population) city corporation in the state of Kerala in India. It is the municipal corporation that administrates the city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital of Kerala. The city corporation is spread over 214.86 km2 with 100 wards and a population of 9,57,730 inhabitants. It includes the Legislative Assembly constituencies of Thiruvananthapuram, Vattiyoorkavu, Nemom, Kazhakkoottam and 5 wards of the Kovalam constituency. The current mayor is Arya Rajendran of the Communist Party of India (Marxist); presently the youngest mayor in the country.

History
The Conservancy Department was started in Thiruvananthapuram in 1877 during the reign of the king Ayilyam Thirunal of the Travancore kingdom. Under this arrangement, the town was divided into 5 divisions, namely Kottaykkakam (areas inside the Fort), Chalai, Sreevaraham, Manacaud and Pettah.

The first president of the Committee was Dewan Peshkar Iraviperur Pillai. There were 19 members in the committee. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920. After two decades, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality was converted into Municipal Corporation on 30 October 1940.



Administration
The city corporation is governed by a council of 100 members, headed by the Mayor. The members of the Council are elected every five years, with the latest election having been in 2020. It constitutes Standing Committees for exercising its powers, discharging such duties or performing such functions as are provided for in the Kerala Municipalities Act.

The Mayor is elected by the councilors from among themselves. They chair Council meetings and are responsible for the overall supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation.

The Deputy Mayor is the Chairman of the Finance Standing Committee and also presides over the Council meetings during the absence of the Mayor. The Secretary of the TMC is a civil servant appointed by the Kerala Government. The law and order of the city is handled by the Trivandrum City Police Commissioner. The total police strength in the city including the Armed Reserve camp at Nandavanam and the SAP camp at Peroorkada, is about 4,500.

The corporation was originally (in 1940) divided into 24 wards, covering an area of 30.66 km2. Through the years, the city corporation has grown to 100 wards, and now the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Council is the second largest democratically elected body in Kerala after the Legislative Assembly.

Revenue sources
The following are the Income sources for the Corporation from the Central and State Government.

Revenue from taxes
Following is the Tax related revenue for the corporation.


 * Property tax.
 * Profession tax.
 * Entertainment tax.
 * Grants from Central and State Government like Goods and Services Tax.
 * Advertisement tax.

Revenue from non-tax sources
Following is the Non Tax related revenue for the corporation.


 * Water usage charges.
 * Fees from Documentation services.
 * Rent received from municipal property.
 * Funds from municipal bonds.

Wards of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation
The 100 wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and their councilors are listed below in the alphabetical order of the ward name.