Sheriff of Kolkata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata. The Sheriff has an office and staff but does not have executive powers. In the order of precedence, the Sheriff ranks just below the Mayor. Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta) are the only cities in India to maintain this post.
The Sheriff presides over various city-related functions and conferences and is in charge of receiving foreign guests of the government.
Amal Chakraborty, a pediatrician, has been the sheriff of Kolkata from January 1, 2006.[1]
The previous Sheriff was prominent musician Suchitra Mitra.
Persons to hold this office include:
- Seth Apcar, the first Armenian Sheriff;
- James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape;
- David Hare (philanthropist) (1840);
- James McKilligin (1846)
- Manekji Rustamji the first Indian Sheriff (1873);
- (Raja) Digambar Mitra (1817-1879) politician and writer and the first Bengali Sheriff (1874);
- George Yule;
- Baron Cable (1905).
