Profile of Khulna City Corporation

4. Profile of Khulna City Corporation

In this chapter history of evolution, key responsibilities and some general information has been narrated.

4.1. Evolution Khulna City Corporation

Khulna obtained its status as a formal town after the establishment of municipality in 1884 during the British Rule. In 1842, it was the sub-divisional headquarter of Khulna and upgraded into a district headquarter of Khulna district in 1882. In 1961, it became the headquarter of Khulna division. However, during late 1950s and 1960s Khulna became an important centre for industrial development. With the establishment of a second part of the then Province East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) of at Chalna, about 20 miles south of the city, Khulna gained further momentum.

4.2. Legal Basis of Khulna City Corporation

Although the history of Khulna city extended over more than a century, its growth and development took place in the recent decades, particularly in the post partition (1947) and post liberation (1971) periods. Khulna attained the status of a metropolitan city (population more then 1 million) in 1984 through the “Khulna Municipal Corporation Ordinance” of 1984 and then in 1990 it was declared as a City Corporation by virtue of bill passed by the Jatiya Sangsad (National Assembly).

4.3. Committee System: City Corporation

The City Corporation is required to constitute standing committees for dealing with finance and establishment, education, health and sanitation works and building, planning and improvement, water and electricity, social welfare and community centers and accounts and audit. With the prior approval of the government, the Corporation may also constitute additional standing committees for such purposes as if thinks fit. A standing committee is to consist of not more than six members elected by the Commissioners from amongst themselves. However, the Mayor is to be member of all the standing committees. A standing committee is to elect one of its members a chairman and another as vice—chairman. The Corporation may also constitute and specify the size of any other committee consisting of members chosen from amongst the Commissioner for such purposes as it thinks lit. The Corporation by regulation determines the function of each standing, additional standing and other committees.

Table 4.1: Responsibilities of different departments

Section	Personnel	Responsibilities
General Administration	Chief Executive Officer, Secretary.	Custodian of all necessary records and documents, he places all files to the mayor/chairman, recommends leaves of staff, attends and participates in the Corporation meetings, writes ACR of staff and places these before Mayor/ Chairman for counter signing. Assists Mayor /Chairman on budgeting, taxation, project execution and monitoring, recruitment, discipline office management, communication, reporting and coordination
Engineering/Development	Chief Engg. Superintendent Engg. Executive Assistant Engg.	Designing, implementing and monitoring construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, culverts, drains, parks, community centers, slums and shopping centers. preparation of 5 sear plan and master plan for the city.
Assessment and Collection	Revenue Officer/Chief Assessor,Tax Daroga, Assessor	Assessment and collection of taxes, record maintenance, issuing and executing distress warrants, etc.
Conservancy	Conservancy Officer/Inspector	Removal at and disposal of refuse and cleaning of streets and drains.
Health and Sanitation	Inspector / Vaccinator	Prevention of epidemics. checking adulteration of food and drinks, registration of birth and death, maintenance of slaughter houses, etc.
Street Lighting	Assistant Engg. Sub-Assistant Engg. and Inspector	Provision and maintenance of street lighting.
Water Supply	Superintendent	Provision of water supply through tubewells and street hydrants and their maintenance.
License	License Inspector Assistants	Issue and renewal of licenses for trades, professions and vehicles.

 Source: Siddique, 1994.

4.4. Taxation System for Civic Amenities

Taxation System for civic amenities has been clarified in section 64 of Khulna Municipal Corporation Ordinance 1984 in the manner-

The corporation, with previous sanction of the government may levy, in the prescribed manner, all or any of the taxes, rates, cesses, tolls and fees mentioned in the second schedule.

………Khulna Municipal Corporation, 1984 {Section 64)

In the second schedule there is more detailed information about the Corporation taxation system. They are as follows:

□       Taxes on the annual value of buildings and lands.

□       Tax on the transfer of immovable properties

□       Tax on applications for the erection and re-erection of buildings

□       Tax on the import of goods for consumption, use or sale in the city

□       Tax on the export on goods from the city

□       Taxes on the nature of tolls

□       Taxes on professions, trades and callings

□       Tax on births, marriages, adoption and feasts

□       Tax on advertisement

□       Tax on animals

□       Tax on cinemas, dramatic and theatrical shows and other entertainments and amusements

□       Tax on vehicles, other than motor vehicles and boats

□       Lighting rate and fire rate   

□       Conservancy rates

□       Rate for execution of any works of public utility

□       Rates for the provision of water works or the supply of water

□       Cess on any of the taxes levied by the government

□       School fees

□       Fees on the use of benefits derived for many works of public utility maintained by the corporation

□       Fees of fairs, agricultural shows, industrial exhibitions, tournaments and other public gathering

□       Fees for markets

□       Fees for licenses, sanctions and permits granted by the corporation

□       Fees for specific services rendered by the corporation

□       Fees for the slaughtering of animals

□       Any other fees permitted under any of the provisions of this ordinance

□       Any other tax which the government is empowered to levy by law   

                                   

4.5. Overview of Khulna City Corporation

The following table has figure out some general information and column C2 has mentioned the amount of respective facilities in quantitative value. The C3 column has mentioned the efficiency level. Such as row no 11 and C3 column indicates that for 46623 persons there is 1 Km road.

Table 4.2: General Information of KCC.

Sl	Features	Amount (C2)	Efficiency Level (C3)
1	Area	45.65 sq. km.
2	Population (n)	15,00,000
3	No of Wards (n)	31
4	Roads
	Katcha	40.75 Km
	Semi-Pucca	120.50 Km
	Pucca	16.45 Km
	Total Length	321.70	1 Km for46623 persons
5	Drains
	Katcha	305.25
	Semi-Pucca	45.5
	Pucca	201.75
	Total Length	552.5	1 Km for 2715 persons
6	Street Light (n)	16,160	1 for 93 persons
	Bulb (n)	3450
	Tube Light  (n)	8950
	Sodium Light (n)	3760
8	Automatic Signal Point (n)	16
9	Shallow Tube well (n)	6689	1 for 224 persons
10	Deep Tube well (n)	3611	1 for 415 persons
11	Distributed water Supply Line	238 Km	1 km for 6302 persons
12	Holding (n)	40,640	1 for 37 persons
13	Trade License  (n)	11,290
14	Rikshaw (n)	17000	1 for 88 persons
15	Bazar (n)	26	1 for 57692 persons
16	Health Centre (n)	3	1 for 500000 persons
17	Urban Primary Health (n) Center	27	1 for 55556 persons

Source: KCC Budget, 2005