Bengal to carve out seven new districts

West Bengal is set to get seven new districts with the cabinet giving its nod to the proposal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

The new districts -- Baharampur, Kandi, Sundarbans, Bashirhat, Ichamati, Ranaghat and Bishnupur -- will take the total number to 30.

Banerjee said the process of carving out the new districts will be completed in another six months' time.


"We have decided to carve out seven more districts in West Bengal. The cabinet okayed the proposal today. We will complete the process within the next six months," she told reporters.

"Sundarbans will be carved out of South 24 Parganas. Ichamati and Bashirhat districts will be carved out of North 24 Parganas," she said.

Ranaghat district will be carved out of Nadia, Bishnupur from Bankura and Baharampur and Kandi from Murshidabad, the chief minister said.

The state administration had earlier made Sundarbans, Bashirhat and Ranaghat as police districts.

"The decision was taken to ensure smooth administrative operations," a senior official of the state government said.