History
The KMC was established in 1876. The city is divided into 141 administrative wards that are grouped into 15 boroughs. Each of these wards elects a councillor to the KMC. Each borough has a committee consisting of the councillors elected from the respective wards of the borough. The Corporation, through the borough committees, maintains government-aided schools, hospitals and municipal markets and partakes in urban planning and road maintenance. The corporation as the apex body discharges its function through the Mayor-in-Council, consisting of a mayor, assisted by a deputy mayor, and ten other elected members of the KMC. The mayor is responsible for the overall functioning of the KMC and has a tenure of five years. At present, the All India Trinamool Congress holds the power in the KMC. Recently the KMC has faced a lot of criticism for legalizing unauthorized construction largely responsible for a number of deaths because of fire. This was also responsible of the unplanned growth in the city.
The city also has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of Kolkata. The Sheriff presides over various city-related functions and conferences. Another ancillary civic body is the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) responsible for the statutory planning and development of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). The KMA includes a large suburban hinterland around the urban centres of Kolkata.
The jurisdiction of the KMC covers the area covered by the Kolkata Police (which in turn includes the area of Kolkata District), but includes an adjacent area as well. See Civic Administration of Kolkata.
Read more about this topic: Kolkata Municipal Corporation
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