Government of West Bengal is vested with most of the executive powers. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, and houses the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly). The secretariat is located in Howrah, in the Nabanna building. The Calcutta High Court is located in Kolkata, which has jurisdiction over the whole of West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The present Legislative Assembly of West Bengal is unicameral, consisting of 295 Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A) including one nominated from the Anglo-Indian community. Its term is 5 years, unless sooner dissolved. On 18 January 1862, under the Indian Councils Act of 1861, a
Bankipur (Bengal) Bankipur (Bengal) Bankipur was an ancient village on the Hugli river located in what is now West Bengal, north of Barrackpore, a little north of Ishapore. It is now a suburb of Barrackpore and is not to be confused with Bankipur city (West Bengal) located on the coast (at 21.76° N and 87.86° E). Bankipur was famous as the principal settlement of the Ostend Company, the one great effort made by the Austrian Empire to secure a foothold in India. The Ostend Company was formed in 1722–1723, and with a capital of less than a million sterling founded two settlements,