Urban Administration - Class 6 Civics - Extra Questions

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

The children were curious to know who was responsible for fixing the streetlights. Yasmin Khala was a retired Municipal Corporation employee. Hence, one child’s mother advised them to go to Yasmin Khala. She thought that Yasmin Khala would be the best person to answer their questions.


Who is a Municipal Councillor?

A Municipal Councillor is an elected representative of a ward. He is also known as Ward Councillor.


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

The Municipal Corporation affects the life of a city-dweller in several ways:
  • It takes care of street lights.
  • It ensures that diseases do not break out in the city.
  • It runs schools, hospitals and dispensaries.
  • It takes care of garbage collection, water supply, keeping the streets and the market clean.


Several poor people in the city work as domestic servants as well as work for the Corporation, keeping the city clean. Yet the slums in which they live are quite filthy. This is because these slums seldom have any water and sanitation facilities. The reason often given by the Municipal Corporation is that the land in which the poor have set up their homes does not belong to them and that slum-dwellers do not pay taxes. However, people living in middle class neighbourhoods pay very little in taxes compared to the amount of money the corporation spends on them in setting up parks, street lighting facilities, regular garbage collection etc. Also as you read in this chapter, the property taxes collected by the Municipality makes up only 25-30 percent of its money. Why do you not think it is important that the Corporation should spend more money on slum localities? Why is it important that the Municipal Corporation provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get?

I think it is important that the corporation should spend more money on slum localities because slum-dwellers are also a part of our society. They need education, sanitation, rehabilitation and other facilities as the common people avail. They are also human beings. They lack even basic amenities of life which cause spread of many diseases among them. They are the citizens of our country. So in order to achieve our constitutional ideals the Municipal Corporation should provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get.


Discuss in the two photographs you see different ways of collecting and disposing garbage.
(i) Which way do you think provides safety to the person disposing garbage?
(ii) What are the dangers of collecting garbage in the manner shown in the first photograph?
(iii) Why do you think that proper ways of disposing garbage are not available to those who work in municipalities?
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(i) The second photograph shows the safe way of disposing garbage.
(ii) Collecting garbage in the manner shown in photo 1 is full of dangers. Children are so close to open garbage that they may fall sick or they may develop symptoms of some deadly disease in the long run. There may be pieces of broken glasses. While collecting garbage in,this manner, their fingers may get injured. We see two stray cows around the garbage searching some eatables. These cows may attack these boys which may take their lives. Thus, there is no safety at all in this way.
(iii) The proper ways of disposing garbage are not available to those who work in municipalities because firstly, the government has not done proper arrangement for this as yet. It has provided trucks no doubt but their number is not sufficient. Secondly, the workers working in the municipalities are generally less aware of health and hygiene. They do not bother whether garbage is being disposed properly or not. Thirdly, the economic condition of the municipalities is not good.


What did Gangabai do and why?

Gangabai and other women of her locality were very much unhappy to find garbage lying all over the street and spreading foul smell. One day she said that it is the Ward Councillor who they should go to and protest since they are the ones who elected him. She gathered a small group of women and went to his house to get their problems solved.


Name two departments of the Municipal Corporation.

Water department and garbage collection department.


What types of taxes people have to pay?

People have to pay property tax on their homes as well as taxes for water and other services.


What did you understand by voters list?

All residents of a village who are 18 years old or above have to enroll their names in the voters list. Government employee visits every house to check whether there are any changes in the list. They also invite suggestions for additions or deletions to the list.


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

The Municipal Corporation is one of the most important organs of the three-tier government system. It is responsible for all round development of its designated area. It undertakes all the public facilities and welfare works like sanitation, water, road, education, health, etc. As these works require fund, so it collects revenue from the residents living in its corporation area. It levies taxes on property, water and other services. Taxes are fixed on the measurement and consumption of the services. Taxes are levied on education and other amenities like owning a hotel, entertainment etc.


Who takes decisions like where a park or a new hospital should go?

The Ward Councillors usually takes such decisions.


How does the Municipal Corporation get its money?


The Municipal Corporation collects tax in different ways. A tax is a sum of money that people pay to the government for the services the government provides. People who own homes have to pay a property tax as well as taxes for water and other services. The larger the house the more the tax. Property taxes however form only 25-30 per cent of the money that a Municipal Corporation earns. There are also taxes for education and other amenities. If you own a hotel or shop then you have to pay a tax for this as well. Also the next time you go to see a movie look carefully at your ticket because you pay a tax for this as well. Thus while rich people account for property taxes, a much wider population pays more general taxes.


How can common people keep their streets clean?

They can do this by keeping dustbin/dustbins at home.


What did the Ward Councillor advise Gangabai?

The Ward Councillor advised Gangabai to get a petition signed by all the adults in the locality saying that garbage was not being collected.


Whose duty is it to replace the streetlights?

It is the duty of the Municipal Corporation of the city to replace the streetlights.


What had children done to the street light?

They had broken the streetlight while playing.


Who was Yasmin Khala?

Yasmin Khala was a retired Municipal Corporation employee.


Class 6 Civics Extra Questions