Cantonment Board Jalapahar is an autonomous body and is responsible for municipal administration of cantonment area and discharges obligatory and discretionary functions as per the provisions of Cantonment Act 2006. The Cantonment Board manages and controls the land or building activities as a whole or as a part in the Cantonment area in accordance with the law, rules or polices issued by the Ministry of Defence, which includes the maintenance of land records and boundary of Cantonment area. GOC-IN-C,Command acts as local government for governance of the Cantonment Boards under his jurisdiction.

Principal Director, Defence Estates is posted alongside GOC-IN-C in each army command, who apart from being the advisor to GOC-IN-C, is answerable to Director General, Defence Estates of Min. of Defence, Govt of India. Jalapahar Cantonment is located in a hilly terrain and is about 5 KMs above the main Darjeeling town.It was established in the year 1848 and it is a category IV Cantonment with a total population of 1711 as per Census 2011 which includes both the Civil and Military population.The Total area is 309.3550 acres.It is divided into two wards.There are four small Civil pockets viz, Kotwali Bazar,Depot Bazar, Chundhura Busty and Outside Bazar (Kopcheyline) with 67 numbers of Holdings in total.