The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has come a long way since the first Mayor’s Court was established in 1726. Serving the third largest city in the country, it provides a range of quality urban services to more than 4.5 million static and another 6 million floating population. Despite significant achievements in recent years – notably in water generation, solid waste disposal, roads development and drainage management, there is a lot to be done. One area that I am particularly concerned about is the improvement of slums. Despite our best efforts, it is a shame that even today every third citizen of this city is

However, our resources are limited and the requirement is high. Under the Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project (KEIP), we are undertaking a wide range of infrastructure development activities targeted at the deficient areas in the city. Correspondingly, we have also developed a medium term Capacity Building Programme (CBP) which is being supported by DFID. This programme aims to bring about holistic improvement in our internal operations with focus on revenue generation, efficiency enhancement and social responsiveness. In fact, we have already made considerable progress in this direction and have streamlined work procedures, improved our work culture and have brought about greater transparency in interaction with stakeholders, ensuring a higher level of customer satisfaction.

KMC is truly the heartbeat of Kolkata – the pulsating rhythm of its basic services, the catalyst for its social upliftment and an ever vigilant guardian of its citizens. But the heart cannot beat without enthusiasm. I invite you to play a more active role in this great city – your involvement will fuel our dreams, propel our initiatives and bring about a constructive exchange of views.

We begin our dialogue with this publication.