The Old Malda Municipality was established in the year1869 with an area of 3.24 sq. Km. At present the Municipality comprised total area of 9.54 Sq.Km. as a result of addition of further 6.34 Sq.Km area by the government in the year 1995. The Old Malda town which lies just east of the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers is part of the English Bazar urban agglomeration. During the 18th century it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distributing centre for rice, jute and wheat.