Which body primarily exercises the powers delegated through Article 243W of the Indian Constitution?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (B) Municipal Corporations

Explanation:

• Article 243W of the Indian Constitution deals with the powers and responsibilities delegated to Municipalities. This article empowers the state legislatures to confer specific functions and powers on Municipalities, allowing them to manage local governance effectively.
• It authorizes the state legislatures to make laws regarding the functioning of Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Nagar Panchayats in urban areas, including their powers to handle matters like urban planning, sanitation, water supply, and other civic services.
• Municipalities (especially Municipal Corporations) are the primary bodies that exercise the powers delegated under this article, functioning at the urban local level.

Information Booster:

• The powers and functions delegated under Article 243W are part of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which aimed at decentralizing governance and ensuring local self-governance in both rural and urban areas.
• Municipal Corporations are crucial in managing urban infrastructure, housing, water supply, public health, and transport within cities.

Additional Knowledge:

(A) State Legislature

• The State Legislature plays a role in framing laws for local governance but is not the body that directly exercises the powers delegated through Article 243W.

(C) Panchayati Raj Institutions

• Article 243W is concerned with Municipalities, while Article 243 relates to Panchayati Raj Institutions, which are involved in rural local governance.

(D) Parliament of India

• The Parliament of India is responsible for passing national laws, but local governance functions, as per Article 243W, are exercised by Municipalities at the urban level.