New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Central government has approved the Delhi government’s proposal to create an independent engineering cadre for the Public Works Department (PWD), a long-pending reform expected to give the capital greater control over its engineering workforce and accelerate infrastructure projects.

Under the decision, 3,214 sanctioned engineering posts across 36 categories in the Delhi PWD will be separated from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) cadre and brought under a New Delhi PWD Engineering Cadre.

The move ends nearly three decades of dependence on the central cadre for appointments and postings.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed the approval, describing it as a historic step towards making Delhi a developed, safe and world-class capital.

In a post on X, she said the need for a separate PWD engineering cadre had been pending for almost 30 years. “Our government took the decision, accelerated the process, and now, with the approval of the central government, the path has been paved for Delhi to have its own independent engineering cadre within a year and a half,” she stated.

Gupta expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the long-standing demand. The Delhi government said the separate cadre would enable faster filling of vacant posts, strengthen project monitoring and give fresh momentum to the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges and public buildings.

It is also expected to make the engineering system more responsive to the capital’s specific developmental and administrative requirements. Until now, Delhi PWD’s engineering services were largely dependent on the CPWD cadre, with appointments routed through the central system.

Officials noted that this arrangement sometimes delayed decisions tailored to the city’s needs. With its own cadre, the Delhi government will have greater flexibility in managing vacancies, ensuring the availability of engineers, monitoring projects and deploying officials according to work requirements.

The reform comes as the government prepares for several major projects, including a new Secretariat, mini-secretariats in all 11 districts, and works related to mandis, sports grounds and other public facilities. Sustained engineering support will also be required for ongoing road, bridge and infrastructure works across the capital.

The government believes the independent cadre will improve accountability and transparency in the execution of public works by aligning the responsibilities of engineering officials more closely with the Delhi administration’s framework.

--IANS

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