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NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
Delhi Orders 20-Year Audit of Arbitration Cases Amid Public Funds Misuse Concern
New Delhi: The Delhi government has ordered an audit of arbitration cases involving claims of over Rs 1 crore filed against it in the last two decades in a move to tighten financial oversight and plug legal loopholes. The directive, issued to the Public Works Department (PWD), Water Department, and Irrigation and Flood Control Department, is aimed at bringing transparency and accountability in the handling of public money. "This audit is about learning from the past," a senior government official said. "It will help us understand the extent of financial loss and ensure there's no repeat of such lapses in the future." The departments have been asked to submit detailed, year-wise data on arbitration cases above Rs 1 crore. This includes how many cases were decided against the government, the reasons cited in the awards, how much was paid out or lost, and whether appeals were filed before disbursing the money. The move comes in response to what officials describe as "mounting concerns" over how departments have frequently chosen to settle disputes rather than pursue legal remedies, especially in civil and infrastructure contracts. In many such cases, large sums were reportedly paid out without fully exploring legal recourse. In a decisive step, the government has now barred any payments in arbitration cases where the ruling goes against the state, unless all legal options have been exhausted and formal clearance is obtained from the Law Department. Officials say that the audit is more of a course correction. As part of a broader policy shift, the PWD has removed the arbitration clause from all its new contracts. This reform, officials said, is meant to curb opportunistic claims and enforce more rigorous legal discipline in dispute resolution. The change comes in the direction of Delhi's PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who said it was time to draw a line on unchecked settlements. "Public funds must be treated as sacred," Mr Verma said. "For years, departments settled claims through arbitration without exhausting legal options; this won't continue. We are auditing two decades of arbitration history to identify who was responsible and why legal battles were surrendered. Importantly, I have now removed the arbitration clause from PWD contracts. If there's a dispute, let it go to court. No easy money through arbitration anymore." Officials familiar with the matter say the audit will likely uncover systemic issues in how departments have handled legal disputes, and could lead to long-term structural reforms in contract enforcement and financial management. While some contractors have raised concerns that the removal of arbitration may slow down dispute resolution and increase costs, government sources maintain that the change was overdue. "This reform forces everyone to come to the table with stronger documentation and legal backing," the official added. The review is expected to conclude later this year and may feed into broader legal reforms across departments engaged in public works and infrastructure contracts.
NDTV
19-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Delhi To Replace Decades-Old Pipelines To Tackle Water Contamination: Minister
Delhi: In order to tackle the rising complaints about water contamination in residential areas, the Delhi government will replace old water pipelines under a new Water Master Plan, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said on Saturday. During a constituency visit, Mr Singh pointed to the crumbling infrastructure and decades-old water pipelines as a key reason residents continue to receive polluted water. "There are a lot of places in Delhi where people face issues of polluted water. It is because water pipelines are 40 to 80 years old," the Water Minister told residents. Mr Singh said the current administration has already begun work under a new Water Master Plan. "New pipelines will be placed, the budget has been passed and further sanctioned, and tenders are passed," he said. Slamming the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for ignoring basic civic needs, Mr Singh said, "The previous government did not lay even a single new pipeline. They neglected one of the most basic needs of the people - clean and safe drinking water." Promising progress within a year, he said, "This government is only five months old, but I want to make you all believe that in one year, Delhi's face will change." While many residents welcomed the minister's visit, they also voiced skepticism about similar promises being made in the past. Responding to the long-standing issues faced by residents such as water quality, leakage, and low pressure, Mr Singh said he has directed the officials to stick to deadlines and ensure transparency in the execution of work. "I have asked officials to make sure that the work is done on time and without any shortcuts," he said. The visit comes amid rising complaints across the capital about discolored, foul-smelling water and frequent supply disruptions. As part of his public outreach, Verma visited areas including D-Block Gole Market, Gurudwara Flats in Rakabganj, and Type-II Flats in Sarojini Nagar.
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Delhi PWD to witness historic reform, dept to create its own engineering cadre
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): In a historic move that will permanently change the way Delhi's infrastructure is managed and built, the Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi is set to establish its own engineering cadre. This marks the biggest administrative reform in the department's history, ending decades of dependence on borrowed officers from the CPWD (Central Public Works Department). According to an official release, until now, PWD has relied on engineers, executive engineers (EEs), superintending engineers (SEs), and junior engineers (JEs) deputed from CPWD or other central agencies. But with the creation of an independent PWD cadre, Delhi will finally have its own permanent, dedicated technical workforce trained, appointed, and promoted under its own rules and oversight. 'This is a turning point not just for Delhi PWD, but for the entire city. When engineers are accountable only to the people of Delhi, their performance and commitment automatically rise. We are building a stronger, cleaner, and faster Delhi, and we need our own team to do it,' said Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Delhi's PWD Minister. The proposal for cadre formation has been finalised and will be placed before the Delhi Cabinet in the coming days. Once approved, the PWD will initiate the recruitment and structural realignment process, ensuring that each level, from Junior Engineer to Chief Engineer, is staffed by officers exclusively under Delhi PWD's control. Importantly, all existing CPWD-deputed officers currently serving in Delhi PWD will be given the option to either return to their parent cadre or permanently opt into the new Delhi PWD engineering cadre, subject to conditions set by the department and administrative rules. This reform is expected to increase departmental efficiency, strengthen accountability, and ensure continuity in leadership and project delivery, something often disrupted by transfers and deputations from CPWD. As per the official release, this reform is important because it creates administrative independence; no more delays or disruptions due to CPWD deputation issues. It also creates project continuity; engineers will stay with long-term projects from start to finish. Skill development as cadre engineers will receive targeted training suited to Delhi's needs. Accountability, a self-governed system ensures better performance tracking and discipline and speed & efficiency, decision-making will be faster and more localised For decades, PWD projects in Delhi, ranging from roads and flyovers to hospitals and government buildings, have been implemented by engineers on deputation from CPWD. These officers often face conflicting loyalties, frequent transfers, and limited accountability to the Delhi government, leading to project delays, cost overruns, and mismanagement. By building its own cadre, the PWD will finally overcome these bottlenecks, ensuring smoother, faster implementation of critical infrastructure works. This structural reform is part of a broader effort by the Delhi PWD to modernise operations. Over the past year, the department has launched initiatives focused on, real-time monitoring of road projects, anti-corruption mechanisms through third-party audits, massive pothole repair and flyover completion drives and drainage and flood management upgrades, the official release states. Now, with the formation of a permanent cadre, the department will be even better positioned to carry out these responsibilities. Once implemented, this change will bring Delhi PWD in line with other modern city infrastructure bodies such as MCD, NDMC, and DDA, which already have dedicated engineering services. This is not just a bureaucratic shift, it's a bold signal that Delhi is serious about delivering world-class infrastructure with world-class accountability. (ANI)
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Women's participation can play key role in beautification of India's Smart Cities: Minister
NEW DELHI: Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma , cabinet minister, Government of NCT of Delhi said that beautiful cities would be a key part of smart cities mission and women and Naredco MAHI can play a key in achieving beautification of our cities. He was speaking at the fourth Naredco Mahi convention held in Delhi. "I want look at what we can together do for Delhi. The Delhi government is also working on developing a Yamuna riverfront," the minister said. D Thara , additional secretary, Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs emphasized on the need for looking beyond developing the buildings and housing complexes and aim for integrated infrastructure management in order to achieve a sustainable habitat. "There is need to transcend beyond housing and focus on associated sectors like water supply and green space. Its high to move from real estate to integrated infrastructure management," the official said. In a bid to mitigate floods, she suggested that along with green spaces, developers should come up with "green tanks" to fill excess water which would also help in water conservation. The additional secretary also suggested developers to handover documents citing the green measures and water availability in housing complexes in a bid to increase awareness and sustainability and build accountability. Smita Patil, president, Naredco Mahi said India's housing future must be built with policy, shaped by industry, and guided by inclusive values — especially empowering women and emerging leaders. We are committed to being a bridge — supporting women in the sector, nurturing young talent, and working in sync with the government for a stronger urban India. Niranjan Hiranandani, chairman, Naredco said that skilling would be the key pivot towards women-led real estate sector. "Real estate is the second largest employer in India. However, it is short of skilled workers, which if filled by skilled women, would not only lead to employment generation and women empowerment, but would give a boost to economic growth and help achieve the vision of tripling the size of the economy," he said. Noting that a lot needs to be done on women empowerment and having women stakeholders in key positions, Hari Babu, president, Naredco said that there are immense opportunities that can be leveraged. Rakesh Kumar Goyal, chairperson, Punjab-RERA on the sideline of the conference said that around two lakh properties have been sold in the last 5-6 years in the state while there are only 1,500 complaints from buyers. Over 3,000 projects have been registered with the authority till date.
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Delhi will no longer suffer': Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma asks PWD to finish all desilting work by June 15
As Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) is working on a war footing to complete the desilting and ongoing repair work of drains ahead of the monsoon, Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma on Thursday directed the officials to complete the work by June 15. PWD Minister Verma gave the deadline while inspecting five critical points in the Mehrauli area, infamous for repeated waterlogging. He inspected the drains near Saket Gurdwara, Dargah Mehrauli, Moti Lal Nehru Camp, Kusumpur Pahadi, and Qutub Institute Area. Verma also asked the department to deploy rapid response teams during heavy rain, monitor the drainage cleaning operations live through GPS, and send the daily coordination reports from different departments to the central control room. 'For years, previous governments and officials treated the monsoon as an 'aapda' (disaster), but we see it as an 'avsar' (opportunity) — an opportunity to prove that governance is about preparedness, swift response, and visible results. Delhi will no longer suffer because of negligence and incompetence,' said Singh. He took note of clogged drains, missing slabs, and encroachments obstructing natural water flow and ordered the immediate deployment of extra machines and workforce in high-risk zones. He also instructed officers to submit daily progress reports by June 15, said officials. 'This is not just a drain-cleaning drive. This is our government's commitment — that Delhiites will no longer suffer due to inaction. While earlier governments made excuses, we will be on the ground — before, during, and after the rains — ensuring our systems perform and our citizens are protected,' said the minister. Taking a dig at the previous AAP administration, the minister said that Delhi's drainage system had been ignored for over a decade, with no major sewer-line project initiated in the last 10 years. 'This lack of long-term planning has worsened the problem of urban flooding in several parts of Delhi. Our message is clear — no excuse will be tolerated. Every department must work in perfect coordination, and every drain must be desilted, cleared, and ready before the rains arrive. We owe this urgency to the people of Delhi,' he said. An officer said that the inspection was aimed at assessing the status of desilting, identifying structural issues, and issuing firm directions for urgent corrective action. The Delhi government has identified over 200 vulnerable drainage points across the city. 'A zero-tolerance policy for waterlogging is now in force, and weekly reviews are being conducted to track progress. The minister's ongoing field inspections are part of a larger campaign to make Delhi monsoon-ready in a time-bound and accountable manner,' the officer said. Earlier, during a press conference, the minister said that 35 per cent of desilting has been completed by PWD in phase 1, and the complete desilting work will be done by mid-June. According to officials, PWD manages about 2,100 km of stormwater drain stretch on both sides of 1,400 km of road stretch under its jurisdiction, out of which work of over 800 km has been completed. The Irrigation Department has also been tasked with clearing all natural stormwater drains and ensuring that no encroachments block water outflow in vulnerable zones like Mehrauli. According to a report, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Delhi looks after 77 drains, including major ones like Najafgarh and Barapullah. About 40 per cent of the silts have been disposed of, said an officer.
