OVERVIEW

Howrah Improvement Trust is an organization under the Urban Development Department, Govt. of West Bengal. Howrah Improvement Trust was incorporated by Howrah Improvement Act, 1956 (Act XIV of 1956) of the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly for implementation of various development schemes of Howrah city & its vicinity. Subsequently, after number of amendments of H.I. Act, finally the jurisdiction of HIT was extended throughout the District of Howrah.

Howrah Improvement Trust was incorporated by Howrah Improvement Act, 1956 (Act XIV of 1956) of the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly for implementation of various development schemes of Howrah city & its vicinity. Subsequently, after number of amendments of H.I. Act, finally the jurisdiction of HIT was extended throughout the District of Howrah.

At present, HIT is working on various fields of development works starting from Infrastructure development to various Social Commitment like Road, Bridge, Sewer, Buildings, Playground, Auditorium, Construction of Building for Educational Institutions. Howrah being an industrially oriented city and the base of a large engineering industry more at a focal point of the communication system of Eastern India this city ought to get special attention for its overall improvement. In this backdrop, to make provision for the improvement and development of Howrah, the Howrah Improvement Act incorporated Howrah Improvement Trust, 1956 (ACT - XIV of 1956) by the West Bengal State legislative Assembly.


A Board of Trustees was constituted and invested with special powers for carrying out the objects of the Act. The Board of Trustees for the Improvement of Howrah was formed on June 1, 1957 as per notification no. 3607-8/M-2A-10/57 dated: 29/05/1557. There has been several amendments to the HI Act, the last of which is (West Bengal Act XV of 1995) the Howrah Improvement (Amendment) Act 1995. The area of operation of the Trust has now been extended to the whole of Howrah District.

The statute governs being a statutory body the structure and powers of HIT. Conceptually, the Improvement Trust is a developmental, not a Municipal Institution. The statute conceives of the Trust as an agency created for the purpose of acquiring land, undertaking certain specific types of improvements and of releasing the land, with the improvements, to private buyers or to the Municipal bodies for continued control and operation. To do this job the HIT is organized as a semi-autonomous agency operated by a Board of Trustees which is responsible only to the State Government through the Urban Development Department.