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The National Atlas and Thematic
Mapping Organisation (NATMO) is a premier national thematic maps and
atlas making organization under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
Padma Bhusan Professor S.P.Chatterjee, the founder Director of the
Organisation who first initiated a plan to compile a National Atlas of India
in Hindi. He discussed the plan with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the
first Prime minister of India
in 1953 who instantly approved the project. In April, 1954, the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Scientific Research sanctioned a skeleton staff of
seven posts to shape the preparation of the National Atlas of India.
This small group of staff was officially known as National Atlas Unit.
This small unit drafted maps on various topics for the proposed atlas and the
drafted atlas was placed before the expert committee of the Planning
Commission in the Ministry and got the approval of the project and finally on
18th. August 1956, this small unit emerged as a national
mapping Agency by an order issued from the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Scientific Research as a full fledged organization, known as National Atlas
Organisation under the Honorary Directorship of Padma Professor
S.P.Chatterjee in the department of Geography of the University of
Calcutta at the Senate house. Since then this organisation has grown in
strength in the successive plan periods and took up various projects of great
national importance. The Government of India appointed a review committee in
December1975 under the Chairmanship of Professor George Kurian and as per
reccomendation of the Committee, the Department of Science and Technology
through an order dated 9th. August 1978, modified the name of the
Organisation as "Nnational Atlas and Thematic Mapping
Organisation" This Organisation is a subordinate office under the
Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of science and Technology,
Government of India. It has a sanctioned strength of 462 posts as on today
which includes 75 officers and 387 staff members of different categories, viz.
scientific, technical and administrative officials of which a large number of
highly qualified professional Geographers, perhaps the largest number under
one roof anywhere in the world. It also employs qualified statisticians,
geologists, cartographers and printing professional.
The headquarters of the Organisation is at present located in Kolkata
having 13 Technical divisions spread out into 4 different Units located in
Kolkata and New Delhi.
The units are at CGO Complex, Bidhan Nagar; NATMO Campus, GN Block,
Bidhan Nagar; 7A, Tiljala Road,
Kolkata, Felicitation Centre, DST, New Delhi and headquarters is at
CGO Complex at Bidhan Nagar. The NATMO offset Printing Unit was set up
in 1986 from where Land use Map of Puri district was the first map,
which was printed off on 7th. July 1987. On 24th.
August 1994, NATMO established its Digital Mapping and GIS
Division at its own campus at 35 GN Block, Sector-V, Bidhan Nagar,
Kolkata. The infrastructure Profile of West Bengal was the first digital out
put.
The first National Atlas of India in
Hindi popularly known as Bharat Rastriya Atlas having a multi - colour
maps with a scale of 1: 5 million portraying a comprehensive physical and
socio-cultural structure of the country was published in 1957 and was
acclaimed the world over as a unique publication. Consequent upon the success
of as Bharat Rastriya Atlas, the organization decided to prepare an
ambitious project containing 300 plates. It covers all the aspects of the
land, people, economy of the country. This atlas is issued in 8 volumes,
which is available for sale. Apart from the above project, the organization
has taken up various projects either from the out side agencies or its own.
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