State plans bill to retain 66 Howrah civic body wards
Times of India | 25 December 2025
Kolkata: Sources at Nabanna said the state cabinet, at its meeting on Wednesday, approved a proposal to keep 66 wards in the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) area, instead of reducing the number to 50, reports Debashis Konar. To implement the decision, a bill will be introduced in the assembly to amend the Howrah Municipal Corporation Act, 1980.
Elections to the HMC have been overdue since 2018, with the last polls held in 2013. After 2018, state minister Arup Roy served as administrator, followed by Dr Sujay Chakraborty from 2021 to October 2025. The civic body is currently being run by the commissioner.
According to sources, retaining 66 wards would reduce administrative pressure and improve service delivery. The bill is expected to be tabled in the Assembly soon. In 2015, the Trinamool govt merged Bally Municipality with the HMC, increasing the number of wards from 50 to 66. Administrative problems followed and in 2021 the state decided to separate Bally, but the then governor Jagdeep Dhankhar did not approve the move.