Karnataka > Local Self Government
From the beginning, Karnataka has imbibed a rich and incessant heritage of self-governing civic institutions keeping in harmony with the changing socioeconomic and political conditions in the course of history.
In ancient Karnataka, the tradition of village bodies was very strong. Even in the centralised monarchy L.S.G. bodies were very much prevalent and village assemblies functioned and dealt with local problems. The local bodies were called Ooru (town), Okkalu (residents), Prqje (Subjects), Prajesamudaya (congregation of subject), Oorahadinentujaati(18 communities of village) etc. In an Agrahara villages, the assembly of mahajans. (heads of scholarly Brahmin families) served as village councils. They looked after irrigation facilities, took care of temples and other local affairs and settled minor disputes. The villages grouped themselves into Nadu, and the assembly was also known as Nadu.By about 10th century Nadu emerged to the status of modern Mandal or Taluk Panchayat. They comprised of heads of constituent villages as their representatives. The association of Nadus was known as MahaNadu which consisted of the representatives of villages, towns, merchant guilds, officials etc., It can be compared to Modern Zilla Panchayat and it was the highest local assembly. All these assemblies were entrusted with undertaking socioeconomic, religious and cultural activities. They had their own financial resources. They also acted as trustees of public properties and endowments. The assembly of the towns which were founded by the enterprising merchants were known as Nagara or Pattana and the head was known as Pattana Shetty or Pattanaswamy. Their number depended on the size of the town.
All these local bodies were the creation of the local interest and the Government remained there in an advisory capacity. Government's interference was evidenced when these bodies mismanaged their affairs. The advent of the British rule in India, brought several mixed changes in the working of these institutions. Efforts were made to bring back the lost glory of ancient village communities by the Indian leaders like Tilak, Ferozshah Mehtha, Gandhiji and others. The real development of villages in the modern sense started in 1863 by the passing of Village Sanitation Act in many provinces, including the princely Mysore. In different parts of integrated areas of Karnataka, LSG activities were started in different times. The princely State, Mysore, constituted Municipal Committees on an experimental basis in 1862, beginning with Mysore and Bangalore. The local Boards (District Boards and Taluk Boards) for development of rural areas actually came into being for the first time in 1919. In the former Bombay Karnataka areas, local bodies were created under the East India Company Act 1850. Belgaum Municipal committee constituted in 1851 was the first committee for Bombay Karnataka area followed by Nippani in 1854, Hubli in 1855 and Dharwad in 1856 subsequently Municipalities were constituted under the Bombay District Municipalities Act of 1901. There were Borough Municipalities with wider powers under the Bombay Borough Municipalities Act 1925. In Madras areas, local administration was started with the passing of Town Improvement Act 1865 for Municipalities and Local Fund Act for Local Boards in 1871. Panchayat Boards were first started for single or group of villages under the 1884 Act. In Hyderabad areas, levying of local cess in 1887-88 marked the beginning of L.S.G bodies in the state. In Kodagu area Municipal Committees were established in 1870.
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