Lably
Skip to content

Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Local civic body in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

  • 6 min read
  • 11 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Local government, India and Subhas Chandra Bose

LabLocal GovernmentsLab · Class 6–12The Constitution of IndiaLab · Class 6–11How India Is GovernedLab · Class 6–12Ancient Indian Ocean Trade

History

According to the official website of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the origins of Kolkata can be traced to the Mughal period, when the area was mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari as part of an imperial estate. The villages of Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur, located along the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, later formed the nucleus of the modern city. In 1698, the East India Company acquired the zamindari rights of these villages from the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family, paving the way for the establishment of British control and the construction of Fort William.

Kolkata soon emerged as an important administrative and commercial centre under British rule. The first municipal corporation was established in 1726 through a royal charter consisting of a Mayor and Aldermen, marking the beginning of organized civic administration in the city. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Kolkata experienced rapid urban growth, leading to the development of roads, drainage systems, water supply infrastructure, public markets and conservancy services. Institutions such as the Town Improvement Committee and Lottery Committee contributed significantly to civic planning and urban development.

Municipal governance evolved through a series of legislative reforms. The Calcutta Municipal Consolidation Act of 1876 introduced a more representative corporation with elected commissioners, while the Mackenzie Act of 1899 reorganized the municipal structure. A major democratic reform came with the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923 under the leadership of Sir Surendranath Banerjee, which introduced the annual election of the Mayor and expanded civic participation, including enfranchisement of women. Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das became the first elected Mayor of Kolkata, and Subhas Chandra Bose later served as the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer.

Under the guidance of the first Minister of Local Self-Government in Bengal, Sir Surendranath Banerjee, the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923 made provision for the enfranchisement of women and the election of a Mayor of Kolkata annually. Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das was the first Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation with Subhas Chandra Bose as his Chief Executive Officer. Deshbandhu famously gave the position of the Chief Executive Officer to Bose over a more experienced Deshapran Birendranath Sasmal. Later mayors include Deshapriya Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Nalini Ranjan Sarkar, Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque, Triguna Sen, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

After independence, the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1951 restructured the civic administration with elected councillors, standing committees and a municipal commissioner. In 1984, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation Act of 1980 introduced the Mayor-in-Council system, creating a stronger and more autonomous framework of urban governance. Over time, neighbouring municipalities such as Jadavpur, South Suburban, Garden Reach and Joka were incorporated into the Corporation, helping shape the present-day administrative structure of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Sign in to keep reading

10 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Cities

Washington, D.C.Capital city of the United StatesBerlinCapital and largest city of GermanyChicagoMost populous city in Illinois, USViennaCapital and largest city of AustriaPhiladelphiaMost populous city in Pennsylvania, USBostonCapital and largest city in Massachusetts, United States