Local government in Salem comprises three tiers of administration in the west district of Tamil Nadu, below the central government of India. Salem district was the first district created in India.

Salem district consists of one municipal corporation, seven municipalities and 33 town panchayats.

Municipal corporation There is one corporation in Salem district, namely Salem City Municipal Corporation.

Larger cities of Tamil Nadu are governed by city municipal corporations (Tamil: மாநகராட்சிகள்). This city alone houses one-third of the urban population of the state. The Corporation consists of a council of elected councillors from each ward and a presiding officer, the Mayor, who is also an elected representative. Apart from them, an executive authority referred as Corporation Commissioner is also vested with administrative powers.

Municipalities There are six municipalities in Salem district. Attur Mettur Edappadi Narasingapuram Edaganasalai Tharamangalam Sangagiri

Municipalities (Tamil: நகராட்சிகள்) fall next to the city corporations. Municipalities have four categories based on their annual income and population. These include special-grade municipalities, selection-grade municipalities, grade I and grade II municipalities. Their elected representatives include ward councillors and a presiding officer, Municipal Chairperson. The Municipal Commissioner is the executive authority.

Town panchayats There are 33 town panchayats in Salem district.

Arasiramani Ayothiapattinam Attayampatti Belur (Thiruvelviyur(a) Belur) Elampillai Ethapur (Yethapur) Gangavalli Jalakandapuram Kadayampatti Kannankurichi Karuppur Keeripatti Kolathur Konganapuram Mallur Mecheri Nangavalli Omalur P. N. Patti Panaimarathupatti Pethanaickenpalayam Poolampatti Sentharapatti Thalaivasal Thammampatti Thedavur Thevur Vanavasi Vazhapadi Veeraganur Veerakkalpudur Yercaud Manivilundhan

Town panchayat () is the body of government for areas in transition form ‘rural’ to ‘urban’. Tamil Nadu is the first state to introduce such a classification in urban local bodies. The state has 561 town panchayats. Town panchayats are upgraded to Grade III municipalities if they are found to be eligible. They are categorised in a similar way to that of Municipalities depending on the income criteria and population. Town panchayat councils include elected ward councillors and their presiding officer, Town panchayat chairperson. The Executive Officer is the executive authority for town panchayats.

Elections

Elections to the local bodies in Tamil Nadu, held once in five years, are conducted by Tamil Nadu State Election Commission. Both direct and indirect elections apply for local bodies. Direct election posts include:

Urban bodies Corporation Mayor Municipality/Town Panchayat Chairperson Corporation/Municipality/Town Panchayat Councillor Rural bodies Village Panchayat President District Panchayat councillor Panchayat Union councillor Village Panchayat Ward Member

Indirect election posts include Chairpersons of District panchayats and Panchayat unions, Deputy Mayor of corporations, Vice-Chairpersons of Municipalities and Town panchayats. Various statutory/standing committees are also elected by the way of indirect elections.

Village panchayats There are 385 village panchayats of 20 blocks in Salem district. 1. Thalaivasal Block11 Aragalur22 Arathi Agraharam33 Deviyakurichi44 East Rajapalayam55 Govindampalayam66 Iluppanatham77 Kamakkapalayam88 Kattukottai99 Kavarpanai1010 Ladduvadi1111 Manivilundan1212 Navakurichi1313 Navalur1414 Pagadapady1515 Pattuthurai1616 Periyeri1717 Puliankurichi1818 Punavasal1919 Puthur2020 Sadasivapuram2121 Sarvoy2222 Sarvoy Pudur2323 Sathappady2424 Siruvachur2525 Sitheri2626 Thalaivasal2727 Thenkumarai2828 Thittacheri2929 Thiyaganur3030 Unathur3131 Vadakumarai3232 Varagur3333 Vellaiyur3434 Veppampoondi3535 Veppanatham 2. Attur Block361 Akkichettipalayam372 Ammampalayam383 Appamasamudram Salem394 Arasanatham405 Chokkanathapuram416 Eachampatty427 Kallanatham438 Kalpaganur449 Koolamedu4510 Kothampadi4611 Malliakarai4712 Manjini4813 Paithur4914 Pungavadi5015 Ramanaickenpalayam5116 Seeliampatty5217 Thandavarayapuram5318 Thennakudipalayam5419 Thulukanur5520 Valaiyamadevi 3. Gangavalli Block561 Anaiyampatti572 Belur583 Goodamalai594 Jangamasamudram605 Kadambur616 Kondayampalli627 Krishnapuram638 Manmalai649 Naduvalur6510 Nagiyampatti6611 Odhiyathur6712 Pachamalai6813 Thagarapudur6914 Ulipuram 4. Pethanaickenpalayam Block701 A. Karadipatti712 A. Komarapalayam723 Ariyapalayam734 B. Karadipatti745 C. Kalrayan Therkku Nadu756 C. Kalrayan Vadakku Nadu767 Chinnakrishnapuram778 Dhalavaipatti789 Edayapatti7910 Gopalapuram8011 Kalarampatti8112 Kalleiripatti8213 Kalyanaigiri8314 Kottavadi8415 M. Udayampalayam8516 Muthagoundanoor8617 Oddapatti8718 Olappadi8819 P. Kalrayan Hills Keelnadu8920 P. Kalrayan Hills Melnadu9021 Palaniyapuri9122 Panamadal9223 Pappinaickenpatti9324 Periyakrishnapuram9425 Puthiragoundampalayam9526 Sekkadipatti9627 Thamayanur9728 Thandanur9829 Thennampillaiyur9930 Thumbal10031 Umayalpuram10132 Vadugathampatti10233 Vaithigoundanpudur10334 Veeragoundanoor10435 Vellalapatti10536 West Rajapalayam 5. Valapady Block1061 Athanurpatti1072 Chandrapillaivalasu1083 Chinnamanaickenpalayam1094 Kattuveppilaipatti1105 Kolathukombai1116 Komarapalayam1127 Kurichi1138 Mannaickenpatti1149 Mannarpalayam11510 Muthampatti11611 Neermullikuttai11712 Ponnarampatti11813 Puzhuthikuttai11914 Singipuram12015 Somampatti12116 Thekkalpatti12217 Thirumanur12318 Thukkiyampalayam12419 Veppilaipatti12520 Vilaripalayam 6. Ayothiyapattinam Block1261 A. N. Mangalam1272 Achankuttapatty1283 Adhikaripatti1294 Aladipatti1305 Anupur1316 Chinnagoundapuram1327 Chinnanur1338 D. Perumapalayam1349 Dasanaickenpatti13510 Karipatti13611 Karumapuram13712 Kootathupatti13813 Korathupatti13914 Kullampatti14015 Kuppanur14116 M. Palapatti14217 M. Perumapalayam14318 M. Thathanur14419 Masinaickenpatti14520 Mettupatti14621 Minnampalli14722 Pallipatti14823 Periyagoundapuram14924 Poovanoor15025 S. N. Mangalam15126 Sukkampatti15227 Thailanur15328 Udayapatti15429 Valaiyakaranur15530 Valasaiyur15631 Veeranam15732 Vellalagundam 7. Yercaud Block1581 Manjakuttai1592 Maramangalam1603 Nagalur1614 Semmanatham1625 Thalaisolai1636 Vazhavanthi1647 Vellakkadai1658 Velur1669 Yercaud 8. Salem Block1671 Andipatti1682 Ayyamperumampatti1693 Chettichavadi1704 Dhalavaipatti1715 Erumapalayam1726 Inamvedugathampatti1737 Kondappanaickenpatti1748 Majaragollapatti1759 Mallamoopampatti17610 Sanyasigundu17711 Sarkargollapatti17812 Selathampatti17913 Thirumalaigiri18014 Vattamuthampatti 9. Panamarathupatti Block1811 Amani Kondalampatti1822 Ammapalayam1833 Dasanaickenpatti1844 Ervadivaniyampadi1855 Gajjalnaickenpatti1866 Kammalapatti1877 Kuralnatham1888 Mookkuthipalayam1899 Nazhikkalpatti19010 Neikkarapatty19111 Nilavarapatti19212 Pallitherupatti19313 Parapatti19414 Peramanur19515 Santhiyur19616 Santhiyur Attayampatty19717 Thammanaickenpatty19818 Thippampatty19919 Thumbalpatti20020 Vazhakkuttapatti 10. Veerapandi Block2011 Akkarapalayam2022 Anaikuttapatti2033 Ariyagoundampatti2044 Chennagiri2055 Ettimanickampatti2066 Inambiroji2077 Kadathur Agr. 2088 Kalparapatti2099 Keerapappambadi21010 Maramangalathupatti21111 Marulayampalayam21212 Mooduthurai21313 Murungapatti21414 Pappaarapatti21515 Periya Seeragapadi21616 Perumagoundampatti21717 Perumampatti21818 Poolavari21919 Puthur Agr. 22020 Rajapalayam22121 Rakkipatti22222 Senaipalayam22323 Uthamasolapuram22424 Veerapandi22525 Vembadithalam 11. Magundanchavadi Block2261 A. Pudur2272 Agr. Thalaiyur2283 Egapuram2294 Gudalur2305 Kaligoundampalayam2316 Kanagagiri2327 Kandarkulamanickam2338 Kannanderi2349 Mac. Donald Choultry23510 Naduvaneri23611 Thappakuttai23712 Vaikundam 12. Sankari Block2381 Alathur2392 Annathanapatti2403 Chinnagoundanur2414 Devannagoundanur2425 Irugalur2436 Iveli2447 Katheri2458 Kaveripatti2469 Kaveripatti Agraharam24710 Koneripatti24811 Koneripatti Agrm. 24912 Kottavaradhampatti25013 Morur East25114 Morur West25215 Mottaiyanur25316 Olakkachinnanur25417 Pullagoundampatti25518 Pullagoundampatti Agrm. 25619 Sanyasipatti Agraharam25720 Sungudivaradhampatti25821 Vadugapatti25922 Veerachipalayam 13. Konganapuram Block2601 Erumaipatti2612 Katchupalli2623 Konasamudram2634 Koranampatti2645 Kurumbapatti2656 Pudupalayam2667 Samudram2678 Thangayur2689 Vellalapuram 14. Edappadi Block2691 Adaiyur2702 Avaniperur East2713 Chettimankurichi2724 Chithoor2735 Dadhapuram2746 Iruppali2757 Nedungulam2768 Pakkanadu2779 Vellarivelli27810 Vembaneri 15. Kolathur Block2791 Alamarathupatti2802 Chithiraipattipudur2813 Dhinnapatti2824 Kannamoochi2835 Karungallur2846 Kaveripuram2857 Kolnaickenpatti2868 Lakkampatti2879 Moolakkadu28810 Navapatti28911 Palamalai29012 Pannavadi29113 Sampalli29214 Singiripatti 16. Mecheri Block2931 Amaram2942 Aranganoor2953 Banapuram2964 Bukkampatti2975 Koonandiyur2986 Koppampatti2997 Kuttapatti3008 M. Kalipatti3019 M. N. Patti30210 Mallikundham30311 Olaipatti30412 Pallipatti30513 Pottaneri30614 Sathapadi30715 Thethigiripatti30816 Vellar30917 Virudasampatti 17. Nangavalli Block3101 Avadathur3112 Chinnasoragai3123 Gonur3134 Karikkapatti3145 Periyasoragai3156 Sanarapatti3167 Surapalli3178 Thoramangalam3189 Veerakkal 18. Tharamangalam Block3191 Alagusamudram3202 Amaragundhi3213 Ariyampatti3224 Arurpatti3235 Desavilakku3246 Duttampatti3257 Edayapatti3268 Elavampatti3279 Karukkalvadi32810 Kurukkupatti32911 Mallikuttai33012 Manathal33113 Panikkanur33214 Pappampadi33315 Ramireddipatti33416 Selavadai33517 T. Konagapadi 19. Omalur Block3361 Balbakki3372 Ettikuttapatti3383 Gollapatti3394 Kamalapuram3405 Kottagoundampatti3416 Kottamariammankoil3427 Kottamettupatti3438 M. Chettipatti3449 Manguppai34510 Moogilpadi34611 Muthunaikenpatti34712 Nallagoundampatti34813 Naranampalayam34914 Pachanampatti35015 Pagalpatti35116 Periyeripatti35217 Pottipuram35318 Puliampatti35419 S. Chettipatti35520 Saminaikenpatti35621 Sangeethapatti35722 Sellapillaikuttai35823 Semmankoodal35924 Sikkampatti36025 Sikkanampatti36126 Thathiyampatti36227 Thekkampatti36328 Thindamangalam36429 Tholasampatti36530 Thumbipadi36631 U. Maramangalam36732 Vellakkalpatti36833 Vellalapatti 20. Kadayampatti Block3691 Bommiyampatti3702 Danishpet3713 Deevattipatti3724 Dharapuram3735 Gundakkal3746 Kanavaipudur3757 Kanjanaickenpatti3768 Karuvalli Salem3779 Kongupatti37810 Kookkuttapatti37911 Mookkanur38012 Nadupatti38113 Pannapatti38214 Poosaripatti38315 Semmandapatti38416 Umblikkampatti38517 Veppilai

Functions

Local bodies are completely responsible for the developmental administration in the state. Maintenance of clean environment, primary health facilities gain the foremost importance. Apart from them water supply, roads and buildings, storm-water drains, street lighting, solid waste management, sanitation and bus-stands cum commercial complexes etc are the prime duties of the local bodies. Centrally sponsored schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), etc, and State-funded Schemes like Tamil Nadu Village Habitation Improvement Scheme (THAI), Member of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme (MLACDS), Self-Sufficiency Scheme, Solar-Powered Green-House Scheme are also undertaken by the local bodies. Sources of revenue for these local bodies are mainly from central and state governments. Local bodies also have the power of taxation which include house tax, profession tax, property tax etc. Apart from these they levy fees for specific building plan and layout approvals, water charges, sewerage charges etc.

References