New Delhi [India], September 10 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre approved the Delhi government’s proposal to create a separate engineering cadre for the Public Works Department (PWD).
In a post on X, CM Rekha Gupta said that the need to establish its own PWD engineering cadre for Delhi had been pending for nearly 30 years.
"Our government took the decision, advanced the process, and now, with the approval of the central government, the path has been paved for Delhi to get its independent engineering cadre in just one and a half years. Vacant positions will be filled rapidly, project monitoring will be strengthened, and the construction of roads, bridges, and public buildings will gain new momentum," she said.
Expressing gratitude to PM Modi, the Delhi CM wrote, "Heartfelt thanks to the honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for fulfilling this three-decade-old need and giving new strength to the development of the capital."
The move is expected to give the capital greater control over its engineering workforce and help speed up infrastructure projects.
Under the decision, 3,214 sanctioned engineering posts across 36 categories in Delhi PWD will be separated from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) cadre and brought under an independent Delhi PWD Engineering Cadre.
The move comes as the government prepares to undertake several major construction and development projects. These include a new Secretariat and mini-secretariats in all 11 districts, besides work related to mandis, sports grounds and other public facilities.
Roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects will also require sustained engineering support across the capital.
The government said the reform is not limited to changing the administrative structure of engineering posts. It is also intended to improve accountability and transparency in the execution of public works.
A separate Delhi PWD cadre, the government said, would allow the responsibilities of engineering officials and the monitoring of their work to be linked more closely with the Delhi government’s administrative system.The Centre’s approval now provides the formal basis for Delhi PWD to establish an independent engineering cadre.
The government believes the move will make the department more self-reliant and help ensure greater continuity in the planning, execution and supervision of infrastructure projects.