Kolkata, August 12: A special one-day session of the West Bengal Assembly is set to take place on Wednesday, during which two significant amendment bills are expected to be passed. These bills aim to increase the number of wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC).
Elections for both municipal corporations are scheduled for the end of this year, likely commencing in October during the Durga Puja festivities and concluding after Diwali in November.
The new state government intends to complete the delimitation of wards in both municipal corporations before the elections. Two separate amendment bills will be introduced, discussed, and passed in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties will participate in the discussion on these bills. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will also share his views on the amendments.
According to the proposal, the number of wards in KMC will increase from the current 144 to 209, while HMC’s wards will rise from 50 to 68.
Notably, shortly after taking office in May, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari promised to reorganize the seats in KMC and HMC ahead of the elections scheduled for later this year.
Last month, the West Bengal Department of Urban Affairs and Development announced the formation of two high-level committees for the delimitation of wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the state’s oldest and most prestigious municipal body.
Currently, KMC has a total of 144 wards, which have been represented by notable Indian figures such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, and Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, who served as Chief Minister of West Bengal before independence.
According to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development, the delimitation of KMC wards is essential to ensure better civic services for the public. Under the proposal, smaller wards will be merged, while larger wards will be divided into two parts. The areas covered by the existing wards will also be adjusted accordingly.
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S.A.K./A.S.
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