Raipur Municipal Corporation

Raipur Municipal Corporation, or RMC, is the civic body responsible for the administration and development of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh, India. Established on 17 May 1867 as the Raipur Municipal Committee during British rule, it was later upgraded to a Municipal Corporation in 1973.

Raipur Municipal Corporation रायपुर नगर पालिक निगम
Type
Type	Municipal Corporation
Term limits	5 years
History
Founded	May 17, 1867; 157 years ago (1867-05-17)
Leadership
Chairman of House (Speaker)	Suryakant Rathore[1], BJP since 07 March 2025
Leader of House (Mayor)	Meenal Choubey, BJP since 27 February 2025
Leader of the Opposition	Deep Sahu, INC since March 2025
Municipal Commissioner	Vishwadeep, IAS since 5 March 2024
Structure
Political groups	Government (61)   BJP (60)   IND (1) Opposition (7)   INC (7) Others (2)   IND (2)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	11 February 2025
Next election	2030
Motto
स्वार्थो यस्य परार्थ एव: (Sanskrit) This self-interest is only for the welfare of others
Meeting place
Mahatma Gandhi Sadan (White House), near Mahila Thana, Azad Chowk Road, Janta Colony, Raipur
Website
nagarnigamraipur.nic.in

This civic administrative body administers the city's cleanliness and other public services like public health, clean streets and parks. The corporation ranked seventh in the Municipal Performance Index 2020 of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).^[2]

History

British Raj

The Raipur Municipal Corporation originated as the Raipur Municipal Committee during British rule in India. Established in the late 19th century, its primary purpose was to ensure basic civic amenities in a rapidly growing urban settlement. The municipal committee was initially tasked with rudimentary responsibilities such as sanitation, road maintenance, and street lighting.

During this period, the committee operated under the Central Provinces and Berar administration, reflecting the administrative structures imposed by the British. Members were often nominated by the colonial administration, with only a small fraction being elected by property-owning residents under restrictive franchise rules. These elections were largely symbolic, with real power concentrated in the hands of the British-appointed officials.

Key initiatives included the establishment of water supply systems, waste disposal methods, and rudimentary public health facilities to cater to the growing population.

Post-Independence of India

As a part of Madhya Pradesh

After India gained independence in 1947, the municipal administration saw significant reforms. In 1956, with the reorganization of states, Raipur became part of the newly formed Madhya Pradesh state. This period marked the gradual expansion of the municipal body’s responsibilities, including urban planning, housing, and infrastructure development.

The 1960s and 1970s were transformative years for the municipal administration. In 1973, the municipal committee was upgraded to a Municipal Corporation, a reflection of Raipur’s growing significance and population by the cabinet of Arjun Singh. in 1973, city was divided into 40 wards. This transition allowed the civic body to expand its jurisdiction and take on larger development projects.

After formation of Chhattisgarh

A defining moment in RMC's history came in 2000 when Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh, and Raipur was declared the capital of the new state. This change elevated the city's profile and brought about rapid urbanization. To cope with the growing administrative and developmental demands of a state capital, the corporation underwent structural and operational reforms.

In the 21st century, the Raipur Municipal Corporation embraced modernization and digital governance. With the introduction of the Smart City Mission in 2015, Raipur was selected as one of the cities for transformation into a smart city. The municipal corporation implemented projects aimed at improving urban mobility, traffic management, and environmental sustainability.

In recent years, RMC has focused on citizen-centric initiatives, such as online tax payment systems, e-governance platforms, and grievance redressal mechanisms. These efforts aim to enhance transparency and efficiency in municipal operations.

Administration

RMC is headed by a mayor (head of Nigam) elected by the people and an IAS officer, who serves as municipal commissioner, elected by the state's chief minister. Like other elections in India, in RMC the Parsahads (elected reprensentatives of wards) form the Nigam, and the elected leader of the majority party becomes mayor.

List of mayors

Term of office	Name	Party	Notes
early 1890s–1980	N/A	N/A	N/A
27.02.1980 to 27.02.1981	Swaroop Chand Jain	Indian National Congress	First mayor of the city
27.02.1981 to 27.02.1982	S.R. Murthi	Indian National Congress
27.02.1982 to 26.02.1983	Swaroop Chand Jain	Indian National Congress	Second time appointed
27.02.1983 to 10.09.1984	Tarun Prasad Chatterjee	Indian National Congress
11.09.1984 to 26.02.1985	Santosh Agrawal	Indian National Congress
27.02.1985 to 04.01.1995	Administrator		Handled by district magistrate
05.01.1995 to 04.01.2000	Balbeer Juneja	Indian National Congress
04.01.2000 to 25.12.2003	Tarun Prasad Chatterjee	Indian National Congress	First mayor after the formation of Chhattisgarh / Second time elected
05.01.2004 to 05.01.2010	Sunil Kumar Soni	Bharatiya Janata Party	First full-term non-Congress mayor
05.01.2010 to 07.01.2015	Kiranmayi Nayak	Indian National Congress	First female mayor
07.01.2015 to 07.01.2020	Pramod Dubey	Indian National Congress
07.01.2020 to 06.01.2025	Aijaz Dhebar	Indian National Congress
07.01.2025 to 26.02.2025	Administrator		Handled by district magistrate
27.02.2025 to present	Meenal Choubey	Bharatiya Janata Party	Second female and non-congress mayor

Electoral history

The initial decades of RMC elections saw national parties like the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) competing for control. The Congress, with its historical influence in central India, often dominated local elections during this period. Initially, citizens directly elected the mayor. This allowed the electorate to choose a leader they felt would best represent Raipur's interests till 1973 to 2015. After 2015, the system changed, and councilors elect the mayor. This aligns with the practice in many other municipal corporations across India but the direct election of mayor re-continued in 2025 elections.

The first elections for the 40 wards of the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) were held in 1973, with Swaroop Chand Jain of the Indian National Congress (INC) becoming the city’s mayor. Between 1985 and 1995, the municipal corporation was administered by a district magistrate or administrator appointed by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, following a delimitation process. In 1995, the number of wards was increased to 60 by Digvijay Singh ministry, and elections were held, with Balbeer S. Juneja elected as the mayor.

Following the passing of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, Raipur became part of the newly formed state of Chhattisgarh and was designated the largest municipal corporation in the state. Tarun Prasad Chatterjee was the first mayor of Raipur after Chhattisgarh's formation. In 2004, ahead of the local elections, the Raman Singh ministry approved the creation of seven additional wards, raising the total from 63 to 70. The first local body elections in the new state were held in 2004, where Sunil Kumar Soni of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is currently the Member of Legislative Assembly for Raipur South, became the first non-Congress mayor of the city. By 2014, the RMC had created four more wards, leading to the current structure of 70 wards.

Elections for the Raipur Municipal Corporation were held in 2019-20, in which the Indian National Congress (INC) emerged victorious, and Aijaz Dhebar became the mayor. However, due to the reservation and prolonged delimitation processes, local body elections were not conducted after the completion of the previous tenure, leading to the dissolution of the RMC. For the first time in 30 years, the collector was re-assigned as the administrator of RMC.

Ward-wise

2025

Raipur Municipal Corporation

Party		Won	+/−
	Bharatiya Janata Party	60	31
	Indian National Congress	7	27
	Independents	3	4
Total		70

2019

Raipur Municipal Corporation

Party		Won	+/−
	Indian National Congress	34
	Bharatiya Janata Party	29
	Independents	7
Total		70

Notes