Govt to conduct study for CPWD restructuring, unions oppose

The Urban Development Ministry has invited bids for a study on the working of its public works agency CPWD, a move the workers' unions have opposed and termed as an attempt by the Modi government to "corporatise" the 162-year-old department.
The request for proposal was floated by the ministry in the backdrop of recommendations by a group of secretaries that corporatisation of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) could be one of the options to improve its functioning, a ministry official said.
The official said the ministry after receiving expression of interest will commission a study to come out with recommendation on how to improve the efficiency of the government's main construction arm.

However, the ministry's proposal has not gone down well with the workers' unions of the CPWD, which are up in arms, claiming that it was being done to find "out ways and means to corporatise" the department.
"The CPWD will also meet with the same fate as BSNL. Its employees are hard pressed for their salary, allowances and other service benefits," a union leader said. The union is also planning to hold a protest on March 22 against the government's aim of making it a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).
The official said it would not be right to prejudge the process initiated by the government as suggestions could range from "little changes here or there" to reconstitution of the CPWD as an autonomous central works board on the lines of Railway Board or turning it into a PSU.

Various unions of the CPWD, which has about 40,000 employees, have formed a joint front to take on the government on the issue.

Last month, the front had made a presentation to Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba wherein it argued that CPWD functions in high security domain of the government such as construction and maintenance works of all security installations, including in border areas, and corporatisation could compromise the security of such assets.
It said the organisation has a huge manpower shortage of engineers and widespread dissatisfaction among employees due to abysmal career prospects and emoluments.
The CPWD came into existence in July 1854 when Lord Dalhousie established a central agency for execution of public works and set up Ajmer Provincial Division.