NCERT Book Class 6 Civics Urban Administration

Chapter 7

Urban

Administration 

One lazy Sunday afternoon Mala and her friends Shankar, Jehangir and Rehana were playing a game of cricket in the street. Shankar had bowled a good over and although he nearly managed to get Rehana out, she was still playing.

Frustrated, he bowled a short ball and hoped she would hit it for an easy catch. Instead, Rehana hit the ball so hard and so high that the street light broke. Rehana screamed, "Oh no, look what I've done!" Shankar said, "Yes! we forgot to make a rule that if you break the street light you are automatically out." But Mala, Jehangir and Rehana were more worried about what had happened and they told Shankar he'd better stop thinking about the wicket.

Last week they had broken Nirmala Mausi's window and had spent their pocket money to have it replaced. Would they have to dish out money again from their pockets? But who would they pay this to? To whom did the lights on the streets belong? Who changed them?

Rehana's house was the closest and they ran and told her mother what had happened. Rehana's mother said, "I don't really know these things in great detail but I do know that it is the Municipal Corporation of the city that takes care of replacing lights. The best person to ask would be Yasmin Khala.

She just retired from the Municipal Corporation. Go and ask her, and Rehana come back home soon." Yasmin Khala lived in the same lane and she and Rehana's mother were good friends. The children ran to Khala's house and when she opened the door they began to tell her what had happened all at once! When they asked about the street light, Yasmin Khala laughed and said, "There is no one person that you can pay the money to. There is a big organisation called the Municipal Corporation that takes care of street lights, garbage collection, water supply, keeping the streets and the market clean."

"I've heard about the Municipal Corporation. They've put up signs around the city to inform people about malaria," said Mala. "Yes, you are quite right. The Municipal Corporation is also responsible for ensuring that diseases do not break out in the city. It also runs schools, hospitals and dispensaries. And makes gardens and maintains them," said Yasmin Khala. Then she added, "Our city Pune is a big city and so here it is called a Municipal Corporation. In smaller towns it is called a Municipal Council."

QUESTIONS

1. Why did the children go to Yasmin Khala's house?

2. List four ways in which the work of the Municipal Corporation affects the life of a city-dweller.

3. Who is a Municipal Councillor?

4. What did Gangabai do and why?

5. How does the Municipal Corporation earn the money to do its work?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 6 Civics Urban Administration