Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has approved a major overhaul of the Public Works Department (PWD), marking the first such reform in three decades. The Chief Minister has sanctioned a fivefold increase in the financial powers of PWD officers and a comprehensive revision of the engineers’ service structure. The move is aimed at granting greater autonomy to officers, reducing dependence on higher-level approvals, and expediting processes like tendering, contracting, and project execution.
At a PWD review meeting, it was noted that financial powers were last revised in 1995, while construction costs have risen over 5.5 times since then, as per the Cost Inflation Index. CM Yogi said the revision was essential to improve administrative efficiency, ensure timely project execution, and uphold financial discipline.
After detailed discussions, it was decided that the financial limits for civil works will be increased up to five times and for electrical and mechanical works at least two times. The Chief Minister emphasized that the reform will enhance both transparency and accountability in departmental functioning.
Under the new system, the Chief Engineer can now approve works up to Rs 10 crore, up from Rs 2 crore; the Superintending Engineer up to Rs 5 crore, up from Rs 1 crore; and the Executive Engineer up to Rs 2 crore, up from Rs 40 lakh. Assistant Engineers will also receive limited authority to approve tenders and minor works. The Chief Minister said this reform will expedite projects, reduce delays in approvals, and ensure greater administrative efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
The meeting also approved key amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Engineer Service (PWD) (Higher) Rules, 1990, restructuring the electrical and mechanical cadres. A new post of Chief Engineer (Level-1) has been created, while the number of Chief Engineer (Level-2) and Superintending Engineer positions has been 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. In line with the Seventh Pay Commission, revised pay matrices have been implemented from Executive Engineer to Chief Engineer (Level-1), and the selection committee’s composition has been updated to ensure fairness and merit-based progression.
CM Yogi emphasized that as the PWD plays a vital role in state development, timely and transparent service rules and a merit-driven promotion system are essential to enhance efficiency, technical quality, and the department’s service spirit.
