Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and Panchayat Raj Laws
The Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 1993 test local self-government, read with the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
Core
- Municipalities: constitution, elections, President, Commissioner, functions, taxation, contracts and building licences.
- Panchayats: gram, taluk and zilla levels; reservation, disqualifications and no-confidence motions.
- Financial powers: taxes, grants and the State Finance Commission.
- Regulatory powers: building permission, trade licences and encroachment removal.
- Judicial review of local body decisions for jurisdiction, bias and natural justice.
Worked example
A municipality cancels a building licence without hearing the owner. Reasoning: the power to cancel is subject to natural justice. Absence of hearing makes the order void. The owner may use the statutory appeal or approach the High Court under Article 226.
Traps
- Treating municipal permission as conferring title.
- Ignoring a statutory appeal.
- Confusing the elected and executive wings.
- Missing the doctrine of ultra vires.