News Brief
Yogi Government Sanctions Fivefold Increase In PWD Officers’ Financial Powers To Accelerate Project Execution
UP CM Yogi Adityanath
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a major revamp of the Public Works Department (PWD) for the first time in three decades.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sanctioned a five-fold increase in the financial powers of PWD officers and a comprehensive restructuring of the engineers’ service framework, reported The New Indian Express.
The decision aims to give officers more autonomy, minimise reliance on higher-level approvals, and speed up processes like tendering, contracting, and project implementation.
CM Yogi stated that the adjustment was necessary to increase administrative efficiency, assure timely project execution, and maintain financial discipline.
At a PWD review meeting, it was revealed that officers' financial capabilities had not been updated since 1995, although construction costs had increased by more than 5.5 times since then, as per the Cost Inflation Index.
After detailed discussions, it was decided to expand financial limits for civil work by up to five times and for electrical and mechanical work limitations by at least twice as much.
The Chief Minister stressed that the reform would increase transparency and accountability in departmental functioning.
Assistant Engineers will also receive limited responsibility to clear tenders and minor works.
The meeting also approved amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Engineer Service (PWD) (Higher) Rules, 1990, restructuring electrical and mechanical cadres.
A new Chief Engineer (Level-1) post has been introduced, and the number of Level-2 Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers increased.
The revised rules clearly define the promotion process, pay scales, and service conditions, making the cadre structure more transparent and organized.
Promotions to Chief Engineer (Level-1) will now be based on seniority from Level-2, with updated procedures also defined for promotions to Level-2 and Superintending Engineer.
