List of towns in Lahore facts for kids

In Lahore, Pakistan, local areas are managed by groups called councils. These councils help make decisions for the people living there. For a long time, these groups were known as Union Councils (UCs).

A new law from 2019, called the Punjab Village Panchayats and Neighbourhood Councils Bill, is changing things. This law will replace the old Union Councils with new groups called Neighbourhood Councils (NCs). The main idea is to make these local areas smaller. This way, the councils can work more closely with the people they serve.

For most of Punjab, these new councils will cover much smaller areas. But in Lahore, the change will be a bit different. Lahore used to have 274 Union Councils since 2015. The new law says Lahore can have up to 280 Neighbourhood Councils. This means the number of local areas in Lahore will stay about the same.

The exact names and borders of these new neighbourhoods were planned to be announced by October 2019. Each new neighbourhood is designed to have about 36,000 to 44,000 people. This number is based on information from the 2017 census.

How Local Councils Have Changed

Before 2015, Lahore had fewer Union Councils. In 2001, there were 152 Union Councils in the city. This included the Lahore Cantonment area, which is a special independent area.

Later, a new law in 2013 increased the number of Union Councils. This change happened before the local elections in October 2015. After this, Lahore had 274 Union Councils. This shows how the city's local government structure has grown over time.

What are Union Councils?

Union Councils were local government bodies in Pakistan. They were the smallest administrative units in both cities and villages. Each Union Council was made up of several elected members. These members worked together to manage local services.

Their jobs included things like:

• Keeping local records.
• Helping with small disputes.
• Working on local development projects.
• Making sure basic services were available.

They played an important role in connecting the government with the people at a very local level.

Why Change to Neighbourhood Councils?

The move from Union Councils to Neighbourhood Councils aims to improve local government. By making the areas smaller, the new councils can be even closer to the people. This can help them understand and solve local problems better.

For example, a smaller council might find it easier to:

• Listen to what local residents need.
• Plan projects that directly benefit a specific community.
• Respond quickly to local issues.

This change is part of an effort to make local government more effective and responsive. It helps ensure that people's voices are heard in their own communities.

Images for kids

• 

  Administrative towns of Lahore