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Jalpaiguri City JPGJalpaiguri
Urban Agglomeration/City
Nickname: The Olive City
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Jalpaiguri district
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Jalpaiguri Municipality
• Chairman	Mohan Bose
Area
• Total	70.29 km (27.14 sq mi)
Elevation	89 m (292 ft)
Population
• Total	339,013
• Density	1,426/km (3,690/sq mi)
Demonym	Cosmopolitan
Languages
• Official	Bengali, Hindi, English, Marwari, Nepali
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	735 101, 735102, 735210
Telephone code	03561
Vehicle registration	WB-71 WB-72
Lok Sabha constituency	Jalpaiguri (SC)
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Jalpaiguri, Rajganj (SC)
Website	jalpaiguri.gov.in

Jalpaiguri (Pron: ˌʤælpaɪˈgʊəri) (Template:Lang-bn Jôlpaiguṛi) is a city/urban agglomeration in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Jalpaiguri district, and the divisional headquarters of the North Bengal region.

History

The name of the city Jalpaiguri actually comes from the Bhutanese term je-le-pe-gu-ri meaning a place where warm clothes are traded, suggesting a trading center. Another suggestion is that it is from the word Jalpai meaning olive, and Guri meaning place. Jalpaiguri once had many olive trees. With time, Jalpaiguri emerged as the most important city next to Siliguri in North Bengal. Lying just 42 kilometres away from Siliguri, it is the Twin city to Siliguri. Jalpaiguri is the largest city and is presently the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri District and also the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri Division, comprising all districts of North Bengal.

Geography

Jalpaiguri is located at 26°31′N 88°44′E / 26.52°N 88.73°E / 26.52; 88.73. It has an average elevation of 75 metres (246 feet). Jalpaiguri lies in the middle of the vast fertile plains(Terai)south of the Himalayas,watered by innumerable rivers and rivulets rising from and flowing down the Himalayas.On a clear sunny day, Mount Kanchenjunga is visible from the city itself.The city lies on the banks of the Teesta river which is the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges.A mass flood in 1968 nearly flattened out the city and huge spurs had to be built and the river diverted to some km. outside the city to avoid the same carnage as it caused. Other than the Teesta, the Karala river, nicknamed the "Thames of Jalpaiguri", flows through the city thereby bisecting it into two halves.

Climate

The City of Jalpaiguri experiences three seasons mainly, namely Summer; Monsoons and Winter. Summers are tropical and quite hot with temperatures ranging in the mid-thirties.The highest recorded temperature in Jalpaiguri is 42.5 degree Celsius. Monsoons are very severe with the City experiencing high amount of rainfall, sometimes stalling all life and activities. Winters are again quite severe and chilly, with the cold Himalayan winds blowing straight into the city. Temperatures are around 8 to 14 degrees Celsius during this period. The lowest recorded temperature in Jalpaiguri City is 1.2 degree Celsius. (citation needed)

Urbanization

In the 2011 census, Jalpaiguri City Urban Agglomeration had a population of approximately more than 3,39,874; out of which 1,53,564 were males and 1,50,310 were females. The 0–6 years population was 76,526. Effective literacy rate for the 8+ population was 91.25 per cent.

As of 2001 India census, Jalpaiguri had a population of 2,30,145. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Jalpaiguri has an average literacy rate of 91%, higher than the national average of 79.5%:male literacy is 91%, and female literacy is 89%. In Jalpaiguri City,34% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

Jalpaiguri City is described as the gateway to the Dooars. The strategic location of the city makes it a base for essential supplies to the above regions. Jalpaiguri has gradually developed as a profitable center for a variety of businesses. As a central hub, many national companies and organizations have set up their offices here. The Hong Kong market is a chief hub for buying low cost Chinese goods and imported goods, nearby Kadamtala Municipal Market, D.B.C. Road and Merçhànt Road is a prominent place to buy daily use goods, and is very popular among people from nearby areas. The four "T"s - Tea, Timber, Tourism and Transport - are the main businesses of Jalpàiguri. Recently many hotels had mushroomed up & a very good increment had been seen in this sector at past. Temple Street is one of the shopping hubs in Jalpaiguri. Other important markets are at Kamarpara, Kadamtala, Dinbàzar, Raikatpara, Babupara, Head Post Office, Station Feeder Road, Collectorate Avenue, Race Course, Ashram Para, New Town, Natun Para, Shilpasamiti Para, Beguntary, Ukil Para, NBSTC Bus Stop, Maskalaibari, etc. In recent times, the city has seen the establishment of a number of shopping malls and multiplexes to cater tothe growing needs of the populace. The organized retail sector has created a large number of jobs in the region. The presenceof Indian army, Border Security Force (BSF), CRPF, SSB and the Assam Rifles around the city have contributed to the growth of the local economy. Being a tourist destination, the hospitality sector and tourism sector constitutes an important part of Jalpaiguri's economy. Jalpaiguri City is the headquarters of FOCIN Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of North Bengal. The latest development is the development of malls like COSMOS. With the growing economic transactions there has opened up some major banks in the city namely Standard Chartered, HDFC,ICICI, Allahabad, State Bank of India, Axis Bank, UCO, Vijaya, IDBI and UBKG bank. There are also some other banks such as Bank of Maharastra, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Andhra Bank, Sonali Bank, Bank of India, Union Bank, etc. Jalpaiguri City has its own bank too, named the The Jalpaiguri Central Co-operative Bank. Etablished in 1919, it is the oldest bank of the region and has more than its 20 branches spread all over North Bengal.

Transport

Public transport includescycle rickshaws,auto rickshaws, local buses and tempos. There is no metered vehicular transport. While 6-seater city autos ply between two fixed destinations of about 10–15 km, onecan hire petrol-driven auto rickshaws fromauto stands at a rate fixed by the municipal authorities. A total of 16,000 rickshaws licensed by the municipal corporation and an additional 55,000 illegal ones ply in this increasingly congested city.

Rail

Jalpaiguri Urban Agglomeration has five railway stations:~

1. Jalpaiguri railway station (JPG)- This is the oldest station in the area. Opened on 1880 during the British Raj, this station used to be the terminus for the trains coming from Kolkata, and the starting point for the world-famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for journey to Darjeeling. It is this station where such world-renowned personalities as Rabindranath Tagore, Chittaranjan Das and Subhash Chandra Bose set their feet on their way to Darjeeling and other places.

2. Jalpaiguri Road Railway Station (JPE)- This station was opened in 1952 and used to be the point of departure of all trains to the north-eastern states, until the broad gaugewas extendedto New Bongaigaon. It is now lies in the Howrah-Guwahati line and connects Jalpaiguri City to the whole of the country.

3. New Jalpaiguri railway station (NJP)- Opened in 1964 as a totally greenfield project, this new station was named New Jalpaiguri as it is located in Jalpaiguri District), and this is now the most important station in the region. It is also known as NJP. This station connects both the twin cities of Jalpaiguri City and Siliguri to every nook and corner of the country by railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train is the main attraction of this station. The station is the largest railway station in entire North East with wide parking area and hasawarded as cleanest railway of India in theyear 2011.

4. Mohitnagar- It is another station which connects the city with other parts. It lies in the New Jalpaiguri-Haldibari line.

5. Raninagar Jalpaiguri- It lies close to the Mohitnagar station of the Jalpaiguri City. It too lies in the Howrah-Guwahati Line, just the same as the Jalpaiguri Road Railway Station. It is ideal and important as is the meeting point of trains like the Teesta Torsha Express, Haldibari SF Express, etc. and also the diversion point of the two lines, one leading to Assam while the other to the Jalpaiguri-Haldibari line, that is leading to the Jalpaiguri City.

Civic administration

Administration is the responsibility of the Jalpaiguri city Municipality, the 5th oldest in West Bengal after that of Kolkata, Howrah, Berhampore and Burdwan. Setup in 1885, it is headed by a Chairman who is elected by the all residents of the City. It has quite about 40 wards, from where the councilors are elected. Presently the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is in power of this municipal body. The current Municipal Chairman is Mr. Mohan Bose. The responsibility of the welfare of the city and maintenance of public properties lies in its hands. Presently,the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station lying just 38 km. from the city which is the largest station in North Bengal & the 3rd in the North-East after Guwahati and Dibrugarh, is shared by Jalpaiguri along with Siliguri.

Media

• .Newspaper: English-language newspapers in Jalpaiguri include the Times of India (Kolkata editions), The Economic Times, The Asian Age,The Statesman and The Telegraph are widely circulated. Several Bengali newspapers, including Anandabazar Patrika, Uttarbanga Sangbad, Bartaman, Ganashakti, Aajkaal and Pratidin are also available. Leading Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar is also available here. International news agencies likeReuters, AFP and AP also have correspondents here.
• .Radio: In addition to the All India Radio, Jalpaiguri receives radio signals from other FM radio stations like~ Nine FM 91.9 MHz, Radio High 92.7 MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz and Radio Misty 94.3 MHz.
• .Television: Jalpaiguri receives almost all the television channels that are received by the rest of India. Apart from the state-owned terrestrial network Doordarshan, cable television serves most of the homes in the city, while satellite television is common in the outlying areas and in wealthier households. Besides main stream Indian channels, the city also receives some Nepali and Bangladeshi Television Channels. Local news broadcasts, sporting events, and concerts are broadcast live or delayed via cable to many households. DTHservices both by government and private companies are also available such as Tata Sky, Dish TV, Videocon d2h, Digital TV (Airtel) and Big TV (Reliance). Jalpaiguri has three local channels - CCN, AMAR CABLE and JCC.
• .Internet: Internet cafes can be easily found in the main market area, served through broadband services provided by BSNL and other private companies like MetroNET (Orange Networks) and Sinet (CCN).
• .Mobile phone: The area is serviced by cell phone companies such as Idea, Vodafone, Airtel, Aircel, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Tata Indicom, MTS, Tata Docomo, Virgin Mobile and Uninor. And also has 3G network of BSNL, Reliance Communications, Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, and Aircel.

Notable residents

• Ratan Lal Basu, renowned fiction writer in English
• Samaresh Majumdar, famous Bengali author of novels like Uttoradhikar, Kalpurush, Kaalbela, etc.
• Pradip Kumar Banerjee, renowned footballj player and coach.

References

1. Gupta, Om (2007). Encyclopaedia of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Isha Books. p. 1086. ISBN 978-8182053892.
2. Raha, Manis Kumar (1989). Matriliny to Patriliny: A Study of the Rabha Society. Gian Publishing House. p. 22.
3. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Jalpaiguri
4. "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
5. Template:GR

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