Lying on the southernmost tip of the Peninsular India, Tamil Nadu, one of the 29 states in India, had a bicameral legislature till the year 1986, after which it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, like the other Indian states.

The Tamil Nadu local government comprises of the Governor, Konijeti Rosaiah who happens to be the Constitutional head of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who heads the Council of Ministers and the government. The head of the judiciary is the Chief-Justice of the state's high-court.

The administrative units of Tamil Nadu comprises of:

Districts: 32
Revenue Divisions: 76
Firkas: 1,127
Taluks: 226
Revenue Villages: 16,564
Municipalities: 125
Municipal Corporations: 10
Panchayat Unions (Blocks): 385
Village Panchayats: 12,618
Town Panchayats: 561
Lok Sabha Constituencies: 39
Assembly Constituencies: 234

Tamil Nadu local government has pioneered the initiatives of the E-Governance in India. A major portion of the local government of Tamil Nadu records information such as land ownership etc has been digitalized and the important offices of the state government such as the urban local bodies, municipal office activities, revenue collection, the corporations etc, transport offices, land registration offices and several others have been computerized. This has led to quality services coupled with transparent operations.

The state of Tamil Nadu consists of 10 city corporations namely, Coimbatore, Chennai, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirapalli, Tirupur, Vellore, Erode and Thoothukudi. The Corporation of Chennai (capital and the largest city of Tamil Nadu) that came into existence in the year 1688 is the oldest Municipal Corporation of India.

Election constituencies

Tamil Nadu Election Constituencies are created to make the procedure of conducting election easier. The Election Commission of India is responsible for conducting elections in all the parts of the country. Since India is a vast country with many states so to reduce the chance of mistakes they have divided the election areas of India into different constituencies. Tamil Nadu Election Constituencies are also a result of this effort.

Municipalities

The local government and the municipalities of the region were famous during the Chola regime as the Kudavolai. The existing municipal structure has incorporated several changes and works for the facility of the town people. The municipality engages in the urban and town planning programs. The land within the area is regulated for constructions by the municipalities. The municipalities are responsible for the construction of roads and bridges in the area. Public health and sanitation fall under the supervision of the municipalities. They are also responsible for the management of solid wastes in the urban and town areas. Some of the other areas that fall under the administration of the municipalities are mentioned below:

Providing water supply for all the sectors.
Improvement and upgradation of the slum areas and alleviation of poverty in the urban regions.
Registration of births and deaths in the region.
Providing street lights and public conveniences in the urban regions
Promoting the educational and cultural aspects of the region.

Panchayats

Tamil Nadu has a distinguished panchayats system of administration. It is the Local Self Government in the rural areas. This empowers the government with administrative powers in the grass root level. Tamil Nadu has a well developed panchayat system and is also the first in promoting town panchayats in the country.

Council of Ministers in Tamil Nadu

There are several departments handled by the Council of Ministers in the state. Some of such departments are:

Public Works Department
Tamil Official Language & Tamil Culture Department
Irrigation including Minor Irrigation Department
Welfare of the Differently abled Department
Programme Works Department
Legislative Assembly and Elections Department
Finance Department
Planning Department
Electricity Department
Non-Conventional Energy Development Department
General Administration Department
Industries Department
District Revenue Officers Department
Minorities Welfare Department
Social Reforms Department
Rural Development Department
Panchayats and Panchayat Unions Department
Municipal Administration Department
Poverty Alleviation Programmes Department
Urban and Rural Water Supply Department
Rural Indebtedness Department
Agriculture Department
Family Welfare Department
Health Department
Medical Education Department
Nationalized Transport Department
Transport Department
Motor Vehicles Act Department
District Revenue Establishment Department
Revenue Department
Rural Housing and Housing Development Department
Small Industries Department
Animal Husbandry Department
Rural Industries including Cottage Industries Department
Film Technology and Cinematograph Act Department
Information and Publicity Department
Stationery and Printing Department
Urban Development Department
Town Planning and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority Department
Tourism Department
Civil Supplies, Food, Consumer Protection and Price Control Department
Labour Department
Employment and Training Department
Environment and Pollution Control Department
Sports and Youth Welfare Department
Information Technology Department
Highways and Minor Port Department
Fisheries and Fisheries Development Corporation Department
Social Welfare Department including Women's and Children's Welfare, Integrated Child Development and Beggar Homes
Khadi and Village Industries Board Department

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Last Updated on : October 15, 2014