(1) There shall be constituted in every Metropolitan Area having population of 10 Lakh or more a Metropolitan Planning Committee, hereinafter in this Section referred to as "the Committee", to prepare a draft development plan for the Metropolitan Area as a whole. This plan shall be known as the "Metropolitan Region Development Plan".
(2) The Committee shall consist of such number of members as may be fixed by the State Government from time to time by notification in the Official Gazette.
(3) In so fixing the total number of members of the Committee, the State Government shall specify the number respectively of the nominated members and elected members:
Provided that not less than two thirds of the members of such Committee shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members of the Municipalities and Chairpersons of the Panchayats in the Metropolitan Area in the ratio that the population of the municipal areas in such Metropolitan region bears to the population of Panchayats in that region.
(4) The elected members shall be chosen in such manner as may be prescribed in the rules framed in this behalf by the Government.
(5) The nominated members may consist of
(a) persons representing the Government of India ;
(b) persons representing the State Government; and
(c) persons representing such organisations and institutions as may be identified by the State Government.
(6) The nomination of the persons referred to in sub-Section (5) shall be made by the State Government, subject, however; to the condition that in the case of persons representing the Government of India or any Central Government organisation or institution, the prior concurrence of the Government of India shall be obtained.
(7) The nomination may be made either by name or by virtue of office.
(8) The Committee shall have -
(i) the functions relating to planning and coordination for the Metropolitan Area, which may be assigned to it by the State Government; and
(ii) the powers and functions as may be conferred on or delegated or entrusted to it by the State Government for carrying out the purposes of this Chapter.
(9) The Chairperson of the Committee shall be nominated by the State Government .
(10) Every Metropolitan Planning Committee shall, in preparing the draft Metro Region Development Plan, have regard to -
(i) the plans prepared by the Municipalities and the Panchayats in the Metropolitan area;
(ii) matters of common interest between the Municipalities and the Panchayats, including coordinated spatial planning of the area, sharing of water and other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of infrastructure and environmental conservation;
(iii) the overall objectives and priorities set by the Government of India and the State Government; and
(iv) the extent and nature of investments likely to be made in the Metropolitan Area by agencies of the Government of India and of the State Government and other available resources whether financial or otherwise.
(11) The Chairperson of every Metropolitan Planning Committee shall forward the Metro Region Development Plan, as drafted by such Committee, to the State Government.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this Chapter generally, the term "Metropolitan Area" and "Panchayat" shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in Article 243P of the Constitution of India.