KMC to include Panchayat areas in 3 wards

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) seeks to further increase its jurisdiction by including neighbourhoods in the city that are currently under Panchayats.

The proposal was learnt to have been drawn up by the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UDMA) department. After obtaining the approval of Mayor Firhad Hakim, who is also the UDMA minister, KMC officials conducted a field survey at the sites which are to be included in the civic body’s jurisdiction.

According to the field survey, the proposed areas of extension are — Mouja Jagadipota (adjacent to Ward 109), Mouza Mukundapur (adjacent to Ward 109) and Mouja Rania (adjacent to 112 and 113). The Mouza Jagadipota and Mukundapur are under Kheyadaha II Panchayat.

The civic body seeks to improve all basic services, including laying proper drainage networks, in these areas while solving issues of supply of filtered drinking water and laying proper roads. Officials feel that the move will also boost the revenue earnings as once these areas are brought into KMC jurisdiction then property tax could be levied by KMC. Residents of such areas, which have seen development in these years, are of the opinion that once it comes under KMC they will get a proper valuation for their properties and the mutation process too would cease to remain cumbersome.

Presently, in a Member-Mayor-in-Council (MMiC) meeting the following proposals were approved — to approve the extension of the area of jurisdiction of KMC; to send the matter to UDMA and approve delimitation after the extension of proposed areas considering all other aspects. The matter is yet to be approved by the KMC for its consideration.