MCD mandates QR codes for infra projects above ₹10 lakh

Senior civic officials said the condition will be included in all future notices inviting tenders, with the engineering department instructed to ensure compliance during site visits.

Sign boards and QR codes assigning responsibility, project completion dates, and contact numbers will now be mandatory for all infrastructure projects costing over ₹10 lakh, according to an order issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The information must be displayed in black letters on a white background and superscribed with “Municipal Corporation of Delhi.”

Senior civic officials said the condition will be included in all future notices inviting tenders, with the engineering department instructed to ensure compliance during site visits. Resident welfare associations (RWAs), however, noted that the initiative’s effectiveness will depend on actual ground-level implementation.

According to an order issued by the additional commissioner (engineering) on March 23, 2026: “With the aim of enhancing transparency, it has been decided to share crucial project information of works/projects undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to the public at large via display boards at construction sites. It is therefore directed to install weather resistant metal display board of size 3ft x 4ft at project site abutting the public road at eye level while not hindering any movement.”

Mandatory details include: QR code of work order, project name, contractual cost, funding scheme, contractor’s name with phone number, responsible engineer’s name and contact number, and dates of commencement and completion.

An MCD official said expenses for board installation will be borne by the contractor. The quality control cell will record installation compliance in reports, and the circular will be incorporated in all notices inviting tenders. The condition applies to all future projects as well as those currently in the bidding phase where the last submission date has not ended.

The directive comes as MCD expects large-scale infrastructure expansion in the next financial year, with the Delhi government allocating an additional ₹1,000 crore for colony roads and ₹204 crore for pollution control measures. The corporation’s total budget allocation has increased to ₹11,266 crore – ₹729 crore higher than the previous fiscal.

Atul Goel, who heads URJA, an umbrella body of RWAs, said that it is extremely difficult for a citizen to get work order and other details about the project via office route. “Even in RTI, sometimes we have to go into months of appeals to get these basic details of public funded projects. The idea of providing this information is correct but real test will lie in implementation. The boards should have uniform font and color coding they should be accessible from public place so that contractors can cover them. Besides QR code, a common link on MCD website should also be provided as everyone is not tech savvy and QR code may be painted over or deformed. Any step in that direction is in right spirit but real test is in implementing it and protecting it from vested interests.”