Local government

Local government is a form of public administration which, in a majority of contexts, exists as the lowest tier of administration within a given state. The term is used to contrast with offices at state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or (where appropriate) federal government and also to supranational government which deals with governing institutions between states. Local governments generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government. In federal states, local government generally comprises the third (or sometimes fourth) tier of government, whereas in unitary states, local government usually occupies the second or third tier of government, often with greater powers than higher-level administrative divisions.

The question of municipal autonomy is a key question of public administration and governance. The institutions of local government vary greatly between countries, and even where similar arrangements exist, the terminology often varies. Common names for local government entities include state, province, region, department, county, prefecture, district, city, township, town, borough, parish, municipality, shire, village, and local service district.

Local Body Tax

Local Body Tax, popularly known by its abbreviation as LBT, is the tax imposed by the local civic bodies of India on the entry of goods into a local area for consumption, use or sale therein. The tax is imposed based on the point 52 of the State List from the Schedule VII of the Constitution of India which reads; "Taxes on the entry of goods into a local area for consumption, use or sale therein." The tax is to be paid by the trader to the civic bodies and the rules and regulations of these vary from state to state within India. The LBT is now partially abolished as of August 1, 2015.

History and implementation

The tax supersedes the "octroi" and "Cess" system of taxing. The octroi system, which originates from the ancient Roman times, levied tax on the goods while they entered the limits of the civic body. In it, the trucks or goods carriers had to pay tax while they entered the city limits at the octroi check posts. As of 2013, the Indian state of Maharashtra and one state in the Northeast African country of Ethiopia are the only known regions to impose octroi. The system was in practice in Maharashtra since 1965. In March 2013, in a joint session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Maharashtra Legislative Council, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan announced that the octroi and cess will be cancelled and LBT would be levied in the municipalities of Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur and Pimpri-Chinchwad in the same year. The LBT was in action in other 20 municipalities at that time. Other municipalities implemented LBT effective from 1 April 2013 and Mumbai was planned to implement from 1 October 2013. The law for the same had been passed in 2009 and rules for implementation in various regions had to be drafted. Chavan noted in an interview that with LBT, the free flow of goods will be possible which was hindered by the octroi collection at the check posts.