The West Bengal government has initiated the delimitation process for the Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) in West Burdwan district, proposing to raise the total number of wards from 43 to 53 — adding 10 new wards to the civic body. The move, notified by the state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department, follows similar ward reorganisation exercises already undertaken in Kolkata and Howrah.

Key Developments

A formal notification has been dispatched to the West Bengal Election Commission, the District Magistrate of West Burdwan, the Commissioner of Durgapur Municipal Corporation, and other concerned officials. The proposed delimitation has been worked out on the basis of five parameters: population, population density, geographical considerations, historical significance, and financial factors.

Part of a Statewide Reorganisation Pattern

The DMC delimitation is the third such exercise since the change of government in West Bengal. The administration of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has already pushed through ward reorganisation in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), with separate amendment bills passed in the state Assembly for each. In Kolkata, the draft proposal had suggested raising wards from 144 to 209, with the final figure reportedly expected to reach 211. In Howrah, the draft envisages an increase from 50 to 68 wards. Durgapur's proposed jump from 43 to 53 is proportionally significant for a Tier-2 industrial city.

What the BJP Said

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Durgapur (Purba), Chandrasekhar Bandopadhyay, welcomed the expansion, arguing it would improve civic service delivery. 'There has been no election in the DMC for the last four years. People have been facing difficulties in accessing civic services and public grievances have been mounting. The creation of new wards will help ensure quicker and more effective delivery of services,' he said.

Why It Matters

Durgapur is one of West Bengal's key industrial hubs, and the absence of municipal elections for four years has left residents without directly elected ward representatives — a gap that critics say has allowed civic grievances to accumulate. Notably, the ward expansion could also redraw political boundaries ahead of future municipal polls, making the delimitation exercise as much a governance move as a political one. This is the third delimitation notification in quick succession, signalling that the Adhikari administration intends to complete the reorganisation of major urban civic bodies before the next round of local body elections.

What Happens Next

With the notification now in circulation, the West Bengal Election Commission is expected to review the proposal. The final ward count and boundary demarcation will be subject to the Commission's approval before any fresh elections can be scheduled for the DMC.