History

The Urban Development Department (UDD) was established vide Govt. Notification No. AR. 17/2002/33 on the 9th of June 2002 after amalgamating the erstwhile departments of Municipal Administration and Town & Country Planning. There are four (4) Directorates/Boards under Urban Development Department viz. Directorate of Municipal Administration, Directorate of Town & Country Planning, Assam Urban Water & Sewage Board and Assam State Housing Board. These Offices look after the affairs of urban local bodies of the state other than Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The main function of the Urban Development Department is coordination between the urban local bodies of the state  and discahrging the statutory ressponsibilities under the provisions of the Assam Municipal Act 1956.The other functions include administering the provisions of the Assam Town & Country Planning Act 1958 by way of publishing the Master Plan of each and every urban area of the state. Schemes for development of the urban local bodies are sanctioned by the Department, sponsored to Government of India wherever necessary.

The Guwahati Development Department (GDD) was created in January 1994 as the administrative department for Guwahati Munipal Corporation (GMC) and Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).It was created vide an Order by the Governor (No. 46/93/22) with a view to facilitate paper and coordinated development of Guwahati urban area. The GDD would from this date onwards coordinate all development activities within Guwahati urban areas including GMDA area.

The Governor of Assam on 20.07.2021 ordered the merger of the Guwahati Development Department and the Urban Development Department, and henceforth renamed as “Department of Housing and Urban Affairs”.

In a notification vide No. AR.44/2018/Pt.26/14 dated 20.07.2021, the Governor of Assam states that from onwards, all correspondence will now be made in the name of the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, instead of the Guwahati Development Department or the Urban Development Department.

The department is merged as per the recommendation of the report of the Assam Administrative Reforms Commission, 2005, so as to streamline the departments which will be cost-effective, less overlapping in terms of functions and more citizens friendly.

The Urban Development Department and Guwahati Development Department was merged to form the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs as per the notification below:

Vision

To create economically vibrant, inclusive, efficient and sustainable urban habitats.

Mission

To promote cities as engines of economic growth.

The main verticals under the Department are as: