The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill by voice vote during a special session to increase the number of municipal wards in both Kolkata and Howrah. Under the newly approved bill, the total number of wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will rise from 144 to 209, while Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) will see an addition of 18 wards, increasing its total from 50 to 68. As part of the proceedings, an older bill concerning the Howrah Municipal Corporation was formally withdrawn at the start of the session.
Addressing the Assembly, Municipal Minister Agnimitra Pal stated that the expansion initiative was undertaken to deliver efficient civic services to the residents of Kolkata and Howrah. She highlighted that passing the bill was essential for improving civic administration and restoring democratic processes in municipal governance. She also criticized political opponents, asserting that previous administrative delays had prevented Howrah Municipal Corporation from receiving funds under the 15th Finance Commission.
The decision aligns with an earlier announcement by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari regarding the delimitation of seats ahead of municipal elections scheduled for December. However, ward numbers will not increase uniformly across all areas. According to the initial draft proposal, certain Assembly constituencies, including Chowringhee, Jorasanko, and Shyampukur, are slated to have their ward counts reduced from 11 to 8 each.