The Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Municipal Board’s) Regulation, 1957 was promulgated by the President of India and published in the gazette of India on the 11th March, 1957 and the Sri Vijaya Puram Town which is the Capital of these Islands of Mari-gold sun was constituted as a Board and came into existence on 2nd day of October, 1957. Like all the Municipalities in other parts of India, the constitution of the Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Board and its main functions were to provide basic amenities, street lighting & water distribution and maintenance of public streets, roads, drains, water tankers the in town and sub urban in any other manner.
The Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Board started its function on 2nd October 1957 with a very nominal Govt. aid. It was only an infant-in the hands of the Administration. At that time services like cleaning of latrines of the civic population in the town areas, removal of garbages were done with limited men and machineries.
Services like supply of water by trucks in interior area of the town where pipe connections were lacking were its first task in providing civic amenities in the town area. At that time the municipal area was divided into seven wards. The first election to the Board was held in the year 1968 for the population of less then 10,000 with an area of 8 Sq Km.
The Board constituted 4 Sub-Committee to deal with matters connected with (i) Finance, (ii) Works (iii) Water and (iv) Public Health and Sanitation then the population of was more than 60,000 with an area of 14.14 Sq Km, apart from the mobile and casual visitors from others areas and Islands
During the year 1994 the Municipal limit was extended by including its peripheral area initially the number of wards were and subsequently increased 9 wards and again the entire Municipal area was divided into 11 wards. Each ward was represented by an elected member besides apart from additional prominent citizen having knowledge in Municipal administration was nominated by the Administration.
After the 74th Amendment the Municipal Board was designated as Municipal Council. The Municipal limit was extended and the boundary of the Municipal wards was redefined and 18 wards were created. The first election to the Municipal council was held in September 1995 in which 18 members were elected from 18 wards, and 3 members were nominated by the administration. The council consists of 21 members (18 elected + 3 nominated). The Municipal limit spread out to an area of approximately 17.74 sq km covering approximately a population of 1, 25,000. The Municipal Council constitutes five sub-Committees to deal with matters connected with (i) Finance Accounts and taxation (ii) Works town planning (iii) Water supply (iv) Public Health and Sanitation (v) Education & Social justice. The Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council gradually grows to the present stages by concerted, prejection, planning and dedicated service. Since the Sri Vijaya Puram town has become a place of cosmopolitan and there to growing demand of amenities, its potentiality is therefore unbeatable now to project more and more civic amenities
Subsequently the Municipal Council came into existence and the areas were extended with the growth of the city and lastly in the year 2015, the area was 41.22 sq.km with 24 wards having a population of 1,40,572. Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council (PBMC) is the only Urban Local Body in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The main objectives of the PBMC are providing basic urban services like:
- Sanitation and conservancy.
- Distribution of drinking water.
- Shelter and lodging facilities.
- Developing civic amenities such as parks and gardens.
- Developing community assets such as footpaths, drains, retaining walls, roads.
- Developing community halls, auditorium and public grounds.