Municipal Engineering Directorate drew its essence from the 'Municipal Engineering Planning Stream' of the erstwhile Calcutta Metropolitan Planning Organisation (CMPO) under T&CP Department of the State. With the abolition of the CMPO and to cope up with the increasing pressure of Development of the Municipal Towns of the State outside the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), it was decided by the State Government in 1978 to transfer the 'Municipal Engineering Stream' of the T&CP Department to the Local Government & Urban Development Department.
This Cell under the Local Government and Urban Development Department had rendered Technical Assistance to the ULBs. Feeling the need of dispersing the activities of the Cell to the entire State in view of the growing urbanisation and larger financial outlay for development of ULBs by the State, the cell was reconstituted as a full fledged Directorate in 1981 christened as 'Municipal Engineering Directorate' (MED).
MED thus became responsible for the municipal development of the State for both planning, execution and monitoring of various Municipal Development Programme (MDP) in the ULBs by providing technical assistance to them. Subsequently, State Government decided to place the services of the engineers in the municipalities.
Due to phenomenal increase in the rate of municipalisation of urban area of the State in the early 90's coupled with an appreciable increase in the scope of the work, it was considered essential to make the services of MED readily and effectively available at the door-step of the ULBs for both planning and implementation of their municipal development programme for which MED was created. As such the existing set up of MED was reconstructed further in the form of Circles and Divisions which remains the set up of MED till to-day.
The principal functions and responsibilities of MED, are as follows :
preparation of Base Maps and
Contour Maps for the ULBs which are newly created and annexed with
added area.
planning of Urban Water
Supply, Drainage, Solid Waste Management and other Environmental
Improvement including Sewerage Schemes for the ULBs.
planning of other municipal
development schemes including Survey undertaken within the ULBs
including those situated within KMA.
planning & monitoring of
various programmes launched by the State Government.
preparation of Master Plan,
short & long terms Development Plan.
preparation of Land Use Map
for the Non-KMA ULBs.
preparation of Solid Waste
Management Plan for the ULBs.
to act as Town Planners for
the ULBs and new Growth Centres.
to render all types of
technical assistance to ULBs.
to approve all development
schemes above the estimated value of Rs.5.00 lakhs.
execution of all new Fire
Station buildings of DFS.
maintenance of those Fire
Station Buildings of DFS which are not in the books of accounts of
PWD.
implementation of development
programmes under foreign assistance.
approval of high-rise
buildings (13.5 mt.) in municipalities other than Kolkata
Corporation.
