Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India

🇮🇳 Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is located on the banks of the Teesta River which is the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges, on the foothills of the Himalayas. The city is the home to the circuit bench of the Kolkata High Court, the other seat being at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Jalpaiguri features the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College, the second campus of the University of North Bengal and the Biswa Bangla Krirangan/ Jalpaiguri Sports Village. It lies 35 km (22 mi) east of its twin city, Siliguri. The merging of the two cities makes it the largest metropolis of the region.

Geography Jalpaiguri is the district headquarter of Jalpaiguri District. It is situated at a height of 89m(292ft) from Mean Sea Level. The city lies very close to the Himalayas and on the left bank of Teesta river. The Karla river is another major river of Jalpaiguri which flows through the city.

Civic administration Civic administration is the responsibility of the Jalpaiguri Municipality which is the sixth oldest in West Bengal after that of Kolkata, Howrah, Berhampore, Burdwan and Siuri. Set up in 1885, it is headed by a chairman who is elected by the residents of the city. It has 25 wards that elect the ward councilors. The All India Trinamool Congress is in the power of this municipal body. The chairperson of the municipality is Papia Pal.

Economy Jalpaiguri has its own bank, the Jalpaiguri Central Co-operative Bank, whose head office is located at Temple Street of the city. Founded in 1919, it has more than 20 branches with ATMs spread across the District.

Utility services The municipality is responsible for providing basic services, such as potable water and sanitation. The water is supplied by the municipal authorities using its groundwater resources, and almost all the houses in the municipal area are connected through the system.

Transport: Rail Jalpaiguri city region has four important railway stations:-

1 Jalpaiguri Town is the oldest station in the area.

2 Jalpaiguri Road was opened in 1944 and is the primarily crucial railway station of the city.

3 Mohitnagar lies at Mohitnagar in the Haldibari-New Jalpaiguri line.

4 Raninagar Jalpaiguri Junction is situated at the further western part of the city. The railway station serves Jalpaiguri, Raninagar and other nearby places.

Transport: Road The Asian Highway 2 and the National Highway 31D [NH 27 (New Numbering)] passes just through the city connecting it right with the rest of the country.

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Central Bus Terminus situated next to the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) Bus Terminal is a major stop for most private and state-owned buses in the region. The Royal Government of Bhutan also operates buses from Jalpaiguri to its border town Jaigaon/ Phuentsholing, Bhutan. Air-conditioned sleeper coach bus service is also available from Jalpaiguri to Kolkata (Banglashree Express). There are several bus stands in Jalpaiguri:- • NBSTC Depot: Government buses are available from here. • Kadamtala Bus Terminus: Private buses to Siliguri and Islampur are available from here. • Super Bus Stand near the Jalpaiguri railway station – Super (or non-stop) bus services to Siliguri are available from here. • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Private Bus Terminus: Buses to the Dooars region, i.e., Malbazar, Birpara, are available from here. • Bowbazaar Bus Stand: Bus services to Haldibari are available from here.

Education Jalpaiguri's schools are run by the state government or private organisations, many of which are religious. Bengali and English are the primary languages of instruction; Nepali and Hindi are also used. Schools in Jalpaiguri follow the "10+2+3" plan. After completing their secondary education, students typically enroll in schools that have a higher secondary facility and are affiliated with the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). They usually choose a focus on liberal arts, business, or science. Vocational programs are also available. In 2012, the Government proposed a medical college for the suburb of Paharpur.

Colleges include the Ananda Chandra College, Ananda Chandra College of Commerce, P.D. Women's College, St. Xavier's College, all of which are affiliated with the University of North Bengal. Also, since 2011, the second campus of the university with the same name provides with master's degrees in arts, sciences, and commerce. Jalpaiguri Polytechnic Institute, is a Government Diploma level institute with 3 yrs.(10+) Civil, Electrical, Mechanical & Automobile Engineering and 2 yrs.(12+) The Institute of Pharmacy, Jalpaiguri is the pharmacy college which offers pharmacy courses under West Bengal State Council of Technical Education, Kolkata. There is also an industrial training institute in the city. Jalpaiguri Law College is the city's law college. The construction of the new medical college has shortly began in the Paharpur suburb of the city.

The Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College is an autonomous institution of the Government of West Bengal, one of premier technical institutes is present in Jalpaiguri, best known for scientists like Promode R. Bandyopadhyay. It is located near the National Highway 27 (West Bengal State Highway 12A) at Denguajhar, Jalpaiguri. The institute is one of the oldest institutes of engineering in the state.