Town Hall, Shimla-Himachal Pradesh

Town Hall, Shimla-Himachal Pradesh

Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) is the municipal corporation of Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, and is the chief nodal agency for the administration of the city. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras (Chennai) in 1688, later followed by municipal corporations in Bombay (Mumbai) and Calcutta (Kolkata) by 1762. Shimla Municipal Corporation is headed by Mayor of city and governed by Commissioner. Shimla Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.

Overview
Established in 1851, the Shimla Municipal Corporation is an elected body comprising 34 councilors (28 until 2017), five of whom are nominated by the Government of Himachal Pradesh.The nominations are based on prominence in the fields of social service, academics and other activities. Fifty percent of seats are reserved for women. The elections take place every five years and the mayor and deputy mayor are elected by and amongst the councilors themselves. Satya Kaundal and Shalinder Chauhan of BJP are the present Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively. The two major political parties are the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress. Communist Party of India (Marxist) has been nearing extinction with just 1 member in current corporation. The administrative head of the corporation is the Municipal Commissioner who is appointed by the state government. Raipur Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.