Centre approves engineering cadre for Delhi PWD

The government plans to undertake several infrastructure projects, including a new Secretariat and mini-secretariats in all 11 districts, besides strengthening mandis, sports grounds, roads and bridges.

New Delhi: The Centre has approved the Delhi government’s proposal to create a separate engineering cadre for the Public Works Department (PWD), taking 3,214 sanctioned engineering posts out of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) cadre.

The chief minister said the move would strengthen the department’s engineering system, improve monitoring and speed up infrastructure projects.

The posts, spread across 36 categories, will now function under an independent Delhi PWD engineering cadre. Earlier, the government had approved the proposal in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta.

Gupta said the move would strengthen the department’s engineering system, improve monitoring and speed up infrastructure projects.

“The Delhi government had decided to create a separate engineering cadre to speed up development works, make the engineering system more effective and ensure greater accountability among officials,” she said.

She said the issue had remained pending for nearly three decades, with the PWD’s engineering services largely depended on the CPWD cadre. She said an independent system would help Delhi address its specific requirements for construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, buildings, offices and other public infrastructure.

PWD minister Parvesh Verma said,“For nearly three decades, Delhi awaited this important reform. The approval for a separate Delhi PWD engineering cadre is a landmark decision that will give the capital a stronger, more accountable and future-ready engineering system.”

Verma said the cadre would help accelerate infrastructure projects and improve transparency in the execution of public works.