Delhi Cabinet approves separate engineering cadre within PWD

The Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved the creation of a separate engineering cadre within the Public Works Department (PWD) to expedite construction projects and enhance accountability, said an official statement.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The government is planning to recruit engineers independently and fill vacant posts without delay, the statement said.

Following the decision, Ms. Gupta said that the Delhi government will enhance infrastructure by constructing a state-of-the-art secretariat, mini-secretariats in all 11 districts, mandis, sports complexes, and other facilities.

Ms. Gupta said that this would only be possible if Delhi had its own engineering cadre. “For the past 30 years, no decision has been taken on this critical matter. That is why the Cabinet has now approved the creation of a separate cadre for engineers,” she said.

The department’s engineering services are under the control of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) cadre.

At present, the PWD’s engineering wing in Delhi comprises 3,214 sanctioned posts across 36 categories, all belonging to the CPWD cadre, with appointments made by the Central government. This arrangement often slowed down the pace of work under the Delhi government and created challenges in taking timely administrative and developmental decisions, the statement said.

Ms. Gupta also announced the formation of a high-level committee to design the structure and functioning of the new cadre.

In the initial phase, CPWD officers willing to join the cadre would be accommodated. If the required strength is not met, alternative recruitment mechanisms will be adopted based on the committee’s recommendations, subject to approval by the competent authority, the statement said.

This will not only make the government self-reliant in engineering services but will also help build a specialised, locally experienced, and long-term committed engineering workforce, Ms. Gupta noted.

“Until now, accountability was not clearly fixed, and in cases of irregularities, engineers often managed to escape responsibility through transfers. That will no longer be the case,” she added.

Highlighting that the decision is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guiding motto of ‘reform, perform and transform’, she said it represents a major step in reform, as the Delhi government will now create its own institutional framework.