West Bengal to have 22 new municipalities

In line with its decision to decentralise administration, the West Bengal government is in the process of setting up 22 new municipalities in the state. The state's municipal affairs Minister, Firhad Hakim, said that this would be done to decentralise administration through local bodies and spread development programmes across the state.

The new municipalities will come up at Tehatta, Chanchal, Canning, Falakata, Kakdwip, Belda, Khatra, Gaajol, Buniyadpur, Bally West, Andul, Domzur, Bagnan, Bakshirhat, Thakurnagar, Amta, Kolaghat-Mecheda, Amtala, Domkol, Tarapith and Mollarpur, Hakim said.

In addition to this, discussion is currently going on to set up the 22nd municipality at Moynaguri.
 

A municipal corporation with a mega-city population of at least ten lakh would help the state government get funds from various sources including central schemes for effective local administration. On May 26, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after a cabinet meeting had referred to the creation of four new municipal corporations. Banerjee said that the first such municipal corporation would comprise Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Barasat, Madhyamgram and new Barrackpore and adjoining areas in the district of North 24-Parganas with headquarter at Barasat.

The second such municipal corporation would comprise the municipalities of Baranagar, Kamarhati, Khardah, Panihati, Dum Dum, North Dum Dum, South Dum Dum and adjoining local areas, if any, in the district North 24-Parganas with headquarter at Dum Dum.

The third municipal corporation would comprise the municipalities of Titagarh, Barrackpore, North Barrackpore, Bhatpara, Garulia, Naihati, Kanchrapara and Halisahar and adjoining rural areas, if any, in the district of North 24-Parganas with headquarter at Barrackpore.The fourth municipal corporation would comprise Pujali, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Amtala Town and adjoining areas, if any, in the district of South 24-Parganas with headquarter at Maheshtala, she said.

The municipalities of Kulti, Raniganj and Jamuria have been included with Asansol Municipal Corporation, Banerjee said