Kolkata: In a move aimed at bolstering the city’s engineering and maintenance infrastructure, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has approved a proposal to fill up vacant posts of Sub-Assistant Engineers (SAEs) in civil, mechanical, and electrical streams through the West Bengal Municipal Service Commission (WBMSC).
The proposal, cleared at the recent KMC monthly meeting, follows the Mayor-in-Council’s recommendation to initiate recruitment for 26 civil, 7 mechanical, and 5 electrical engineering posts. Once the state government grants formal approval, the vacancies will be referred to the WBMSC for selection and appointment.
Officials said the recruitment is intended to address a shortage of skilled technical staff in key civic departments, including Water Supply, Drainage, Roads, Building, Solid Waste Management, and Engineering. The move is expected to ensure better coordination, supervision, and timely execution of essential infrastructure projects across the city.
According to KMC, a shortage of SAEs has led to delays in field-level inspections, maintenance of civic assets, and implementation of development schemes. With an increasing volume of work and expanding urban responsibilities, the new appointments are expected to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of the civic engineering workforce, said an official.
According to the proposal, the filling up of these sanctioned vacancies will not have any additional financial or legal implications, as the posts are already part of KMC’s approved establishment strength. The financial implications will be managed as per existing budgetary provisions.
It was learnt that the Mayor Firhad Hakim, while approving the proposal, emphasised the need for strengthening technical manpower to ensure effective delivery of civic services and prompt resolution of public grievances. “The civic body’s decision marks an important step toward improving Kolkata’s infrastructure management and optimising the utilisation of human resources across departments,” said the official.