Bengal Assembly passes delimitation Bills; Kolkata, Howrah get more wards

Tabling the Bills in the House, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said the restructuring of wards was aimed at “ensuring faster delivery of civic services to residents”, and added that the decision was prompted by “changes in population distribution”.

Last month, she had announced the formation of two high-powered committees for the delimitation of the wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while taking part in the discussion, said that after the Governor’s assent to the two Bills, the State Election Commission (SEC) will begin the delimitation exercise with the help of the Municipal Affairs Department, Land and Land Reforms Department, and other government agencies.

“The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has its own law. The Election Commission will undertake the process of redrawing or delimiting ward boundaries. Once the draft notification is published, there will be a 60-day period for completing the procedure. Two all-party meetings will also be convened – the first before publication of the draft and the second, before the final list is released,” Adhikari said.

Rebel TMC MLA and former mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim said that it would be a mistake to leave the entire process of delimiting the wards “solely in the hands of bureaucrats”.

“I am not opposing the reorganisation of wards in principle. But it should be made clear on what policy or criteria the entire process is being carried out,” Hakim said.

“Elected representatives should also have been involved here. That would have benefited the common people… Just as during the Election Commission’s SIR (Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls), BLOs along with political party representatives (BLAs) were involved, similarly elected representatives should also be involved in the delimitation exercise. It would have been beneficial for ordinary people,” said Hamik, who was Urban Development Minister in the previous TMC government.

Questioning the BJP government’s move to add 65 new wards in Kolkata civic body, the former mayor said, “It should be made clear whether the boundaries of these new wards are being redrawn by targeting any particular community.”

Questioning the proposed creation of 65 additional wards in Kolkata, Hakim also sought clarity on whether the boundaries were being altered with any particular community in mind.

“It should also be made clear whether the boundaries of the new wards are being altered by targeting any particular community,” he said.

Khan said Kolkata’s present population justified more than 209 wards and cautioned the government against using the delimitation exercise for any narrow political purpose.

He also cited the “abnormal rise” in the population in south Kolkata and Jadavpur areas. He argued that instead of drawing boundaries in a blanket manner, applications and suggestions should first be taken from the public.

He suggested that residents should be allowed to submit representations before the boundaries are finalised and advocated hearings for individual wards.