Plea of municipality of lack of funds to carry out works to provide amenities to its residents was rejected in the case of _______________.

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) Ratlam Municipal Council v. Shri Vardhichand & Others 

Explanation:
• In the significant case of Ratlam Municipal Council v. Shri Vardhichand & Others (1980), the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment regarding the duties of local bodies.
• The Municipal Council of Ratlam pleaded a lack of funds to carry out necessary works (like sanitation, drainage, etc.) to provide basic amenities to its residents.
• The Supreme Court rejected the plea and held that a municipality's statutory duty to provide essential services cannot be bypassed due to financial constraints. The court emphasized that public health is paramount and directed the municipality to comply with the legal requirement.
• The judgment is crucial in environmental law and administrative law for establishing the accountability of local authorities. 

Information Booster:
• The court made the order under Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which allows a magistrate to issue an order to remove a public nuisance. 

Additional Knowledge:
(a) Municipal Board, Manglaur v. Sri Mahadeoji Maharaj: .
• This case dealt with temple property and municipal taxation powers, unrelated to the issue of lack of funds for public amenities. 

(b) S. Sundaram Ayyar v. Municipal Council of Madura: .
• This is an older case (pre-independence) with a different context of municipal powers. 

(d) Municipal Board v. J.K. Industries Ltd.: .
• This case involved octroi duty and municipal taxation matters, not the core issue of statutory duty vs. lack of funds.