Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to increase the financial powers of Public Works Department (PWD) officers up to five times. He said this will give officers more autonomy in decision-making. With less need for high-level approvals, the process of tenders, contract formation, and project initiation will be faster. These changes aim to improve administrative efficiency and transparency while maintaining financial discipline.
Need to Update Financial Authority
In a PWD meeting on Friday (October 24), it was noted that the financial powers of officers were last set in 1995. Since then, construction costs have increased more than five times. According to the cost inflation index, costs in 2025 are about 5.52 times higher than in 1995. The Chief Minister said updating financial powers is necessary to speed up decision-making and ensure timely project execution.
What Changes Officers Will Get
After discussion, it was decided that financial limits for civil works will increase up to five times, and for electrical and mechanical works at least two times. Chief Engineers can now approve projects up to ₹10 crore instead of ₹2 crore. Superintending Engineers’ limit rises from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, and Executive Engineers’ from ₹40 lakh to ₹2 crore. Assistant Engineers will also get limited authority to approve small works and tenders. This revision is happening after three decades.
Service Structure and Promotions Updated
The meeting also discussed amendments to the 1990 PWD rules for electrical and mechanical cadres. A new post of Chief Engineer (Level-1) has been created, and the number of Chief Engineers (Level-2) and Superintending Engineers has increased. Promotions will now be based on seniority. Pay scales for all officers have been updated according to the 7th Pay Commission. The selection committee structure is revised to ensure fair and transparent promotions. CM Yogi emphasised that a practical, modern, and transparent service structure will improve efficiency, technical quality, and work culture.
