Nagar Nigam Guide: Meaning, Services and Official City Websites
Checked against official government sources. General information, not legal or financial advice.
A nagar nigam is a municipal corporation, the local government that runs a large city in India. It collects house tax or property tax, records the change of owner name after a sale (mutation), approves building plans in many cities, and looks after roads, water, sewers, drains and garbage. Smaller towns are run by a nagar palika (municipal council) or a nagar panchayat. This guide explains the difference, what a nagar nigam does for property owners, and how to find the official website of your city’s corporation.
- Meaning: municipal corporation of a larger urban area; called Mahanagar Palika in Maharashtra and Municipal Corporation in English
- Legal base: Article 243Q of the Constitution, added by the 74th Amendment (1992)
- Three tiers: nagar nigam (big city), nagar palika or nagar parishad (smaller town), nagar panchayat (area moving from rural to urban)
- Who decides the tier: the state government, by notification, based on population, density, revenue and other factors
- Head: an elected mayor and councillors (parshad) for a five-year term; a commissioner runs the administration
- For owners: house tax, mutation, building plan approval (in many cities), water and sewer connections, trade licence
In this guide
What is a nagar nigam?
The 74th Constitutional Amendment of 1992 made urban local bodies a part of the Constitution. Article 243Q asks every state to set up three kinds of municipalities. A municipal corporation is for a larger urban area. The state decides which towns qualify, looking at population, population density, the revenue earned for local administration, the share of non-farm jobs and the area’s economic importance.
Each nagar nigam is created under a state law, such as the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959 or the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009. That is why tax rules, fees and online systems differ from state to state. Under Article 243U, the elected house has a five-year term, and fresh elections must be held before it ends. When a term ends without an election, the state often appoints an administrator.
Nagar nigam vs nagar palika vs nagar panchayat
| Body | Area it serves | Elected head | Common names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nagar nigam (municipal corporation) | Large city | Mayor (mahapaur) | Nagar Nigam (UP, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand), Mahanagar Palika (Maharashtra), Municipal Corporation |
| Nagar palika / nagar parishad (municipal council) | Smaller city or town | Chairperson (adhyaksh) | Nagar Palika Parishad (UP), Nagar Parishad (Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan), Municipal Council |
| Nagar panchayat | Area moving from rural to urban | Chairperson (adhyaksh) | Nagar Panchayat in most states |
Names are not the same everywhere. In Rajasthan, for example, the three tiers are Nagar Nigam, Nagar Parishad and Nagar Palika. In Maharashtra, a municipal corporation is a Mahanagar Palika. Check the exact name on your tax bill or the state’s urban development website.
Some areas inside a city are not under the nagar nigam at all. Cantonment areas have cantonment boards. Industrial towns and some planned areas, such as Noida and Greater Noida, are run by development authorities. In New Delhi, the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) runs the central area, while the MCD runs most of the city.
⌂Looking for a property?See homes, plots and shops listed by owners and agents.BrowseWhat a nagar nigam does for property owners
The Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution lists the work states may give to municipalities. It includes urban planning, regulation of land use and construction of buildings, roads, water supply, public health and sanitation, fire services and the registration of births and deaths. For owners and buyers, the most useful services are these:
- House tax or property tax: the main yearly tax on your flat, house, shop or plot. Each corporation has its own method, such as annual rental value (ARV), unit area value or capital value. See our guide on property tax in India.
- Mutation (name transfer): after you buy, inherit or receive a gift of property, you apply to the nagar nigam to put your name in its tax records. This is separate from the revenue department’s land record mutation. See property mutation and dakhil kharij.
- Building plan approval: in many cities the nagar nigam approves building plans and issues completion or occupancy certificates. In others, a development authority does this. See occupancy certificate.
- Water and sewer: new connections, water bills and sewer charges, either through the corporation or a separate water board.
- Other services: trade licence for shops, birth and death certificates, complaints about roads, drains, streetlights and garbage.
Major nagar nigams and their official websites
The table lists large municipal corporations, their official website and our step-by-step tax guide for each city. Always type the address yourself or reach it from the state government website.
| City (state) | Corporation | Official website | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) | mcdonline.nic.in | MCD property tax |
| Mumbai (Maharashtra) | Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC/MCGM) | ptaxportal.mcgm.gov.in | BMC property tax |
| Pune (Maharashtra) | Pune Municipal Corporation | propertytax.punecorporation.org | PMC property tax |
| Pimpri Chinchwad (Maharashtra) | PCMC | pcmcindia.gov.in | PCMC property tax |
| Thane (Maharashtra) | Thane Municipal Corporation | thanecity.gov.in | Thane property tax |
| Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) | NMMC | nmmc.gov.in | NMMC property tax |
| Kalyan-Dombivli (Maharashtra) | KDMC | kdmc.gov.in | KDMC property tax |
| Nagpur (Maharashtra) | Nagpur Municipal Corporation | nmcnagpur.gov.in | Nagpur property tax |
| Lucknow (UP) | Lucknow Nagar Nigam | lmc.up.nic.in | house tax Lucknow |
| Kanpur (UP) | Kanpur Nagar Nigam | kmc.up.nic.in | Kanpur house tax |
| Ghaziabad (UP) | Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam | onlinegnn.com (house tax portal) | Ghaziabad house tax |
| Jaipur (Rajasthan) | Jaipur Municipal Corporation | jaipurmc.org | Jaipur Nagar Nigam |
| Ahmedabad (Gujarat) | Amdavad Municipal Corporation | ahmedabadcity.gov.in | AMC property tax |
| Surat (Gujarat) | Surat Municipal Corporation | suratmunicipal.gov.in | Surat property tax |
| Indore (MP) | Indore Municipal Corporation | imcindore.mp.gov.in | Indore property tax |
| Patna (Bihar) | Patna Municipal Corporation | pmc.bihar.gov.in | Patna property tax |
| Ranchi (Jharkhand) | Ranchi Municipal Corporation | ranchimunicipal.com | Ranchi property tax |
| Kolkata (West Bengal) | Kolkata Municipal Corporation | kmcgov.in | KMC property tax |
| Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | Greater Chennai Corporation | chennaicorporation.gov.in | Chennai property tax |
| Hyderabad (Telangana) | GHMC (now split into three corporations) | ghmc.gov.in | GHMC property tax |
| Bengaluru (Karnataka) | City corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority | bbmptax.karnataka.gov.in | BBMP property tax |
| Visakhapatnam (AP) | GVMC | gvmc.gov.in | GVMC property tax |
Some corporations have changed recently. Jaipur’s two corporations, Greater and Heritage, were merged back into one Jaipur Municipal Corporation on 10 November 2025. Hyderabad’s GHMC was expanded and then split into GHMC, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri corporations in 2025–26. Bengaluru’s BBMP has been replaced by five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority. In some cities, such as Patna and Ranchi, tax is paid on a state portal linked from the corporation’s website.
How to find your nagar nigam
- Check an old tax bill or receipt. It names the corporation, ward or zone, and your property ID, house ID or assessment number.
- Check your sale deed or allotment letter. It often says whether the property is in municipal limits, a development authority area or a village.
- Search the state’s urban development or local bodies website. Most states list every nagar nigam, nagar palika and nagar panchayat with links.
- Ask at the ward or zonal office. Staff can tell you the ward number and whether your colony is under the corporation.
- Look for recent boundary changes. Villages and colonies are added to city limits from time to time. After such a change, the corporation may start charging house tax and may assign new property IDs.
Before you buy: what to check with the nagar nigam
- Tax dues: ask the seller for the latest paid receipt and check for arrears on the portal. Unpaid tax stays with the property.
- Name on records: match the owner name, address and area on the tax record with the sale deed.
- Building approval: ask for the sanctioned plan and the completion or occupancy certificate, and check it with the approving body.
- Area status: confirm whether the plot is inside corporation limits or under a development authority such as LDA Lucknow, JDA Jaipur or the Greater Noida Authority.
- After registration: apply for mutation soon, so future bills come in your name. Keep the sale deed and any NOC for property ready.
More city guides: KDA Kanpur, Gorakhpur Development Authority, DDA housing scheme, HMDA and CMDA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of nagar nigam?
Nagar nigam means municipal corporation. It is the elected local government of a large city, headed by a mayor, with a commissioner running the administration.
What is the difference between nagar nigam and nagar palika?
A nagar nigam serves a large city. A nagar palika (municipal council) serves a smaller town. The state government decides which tier applies to each urban area.
How is a town made a nagar nigam?
The state government issues a notification under its municipal law. It looks at population, density, revenue, non-farm jobs and economic importance, as set out in Article 243Q.
Does the nagar nigam collect house tax?
Yes. House tax or property tax is the corporation’s main own income. Each city uses its own method and portal, so check your corporation’s website.
Is nagar nigam mutation the same as land record mutation?
No. Nagar nigam mutation updates the owner name in municipal tax records. Revenue mutation (dakhil kharij) updates the land records kept by the tehsil.
Who approves building plans, the nagar nigam or the development authority?
It depends on the city and the area. In some cities the nagar nigam approves plans; in others a development authority does. Check which body covers your plot.
How do I find my property ID for house tax?
It is printed on your old tax bill or receipt. Most corporation portals also let you search by ward, owner name or address.
What happens when a nagar nigam’s term ends without an election?
The state usually appoints an administrator, often a senior officer, to run the corporation until the new elected house takes charge.
Municipal laws, boundaries, tax rules and websites are set by each state and can change. Check your corporation’s official website or ward office before you pay any tax or fee. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Sources: Constitution of India (Part IXA, Articles 243Q, 243U and 243X, and the Twelfth Schedule, added by the 74th Amendment, 1992); official websites of the municipal corporations listed above; Rajasthan government and news reports on the November 2025 merger of Jaipur’s municipal corporations.
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