The state government has issued a notification for the reorganisation of municipal wards in Kolkata and Howrah ahead of the proposed civic elections later this year. Under the notification, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation will be reorganised from 144 wards to 209 wards, while the Howrah Municipal Corporation will expand from 50 to 68 wards. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced after the cabinet meeting that an amendment bill to implement the reorganisation will be introduced during the one-day special session of the State Legislative Assembly on August 12. Preparations are also underway to conduct civic elections in Kolkata, Howrah, and other municipalities currently being administered by government-appointed officials.
According to the notification, the ward reorganisation exercise was undertaken following the Chief Minister's directions to redraw municipal boundaries while maintaining an average of around 16,000 voters per ward. During the delimitation process, several administrative and boundary-related complexities emerged, resulting in revisions to the proposed ward map. Consequently, instead of releasing the new ward list on July 31, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation submitted the final map comprising 209 wards to the Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department five days later. Despite the increase in the number of wards, Kolkata will continue to have 16 boroughs.
The State Election Commission will now use the revised ward structure to conduct an all-party meeting and determine reservations for women and Scheduled Castes among the 209 wards. The process is expected to be completed before Durga Puja. Simultaneously, the reorganisation of Howrah Municipal Corporation has also been completed, with the ward count increasing from 50 to 68. The amendment bill covering the reorganisation of both Kolkata and Howrah municipal wards will be presented during the special Assembly session scheduled for August 12.