Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday unveiled the ‘SANKALP’ framework as the guiding vision for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), calling for faster, transparent and technology-driven public infrastructure development as the department celebrated its 172nd Annual Day at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The acronym SANKALP stands for Speed, Accessibility, Nekneeyat (good intent), Kartavyanishtha (dedication to duty), Adoption of Technology, Lokhit (public welfare), and Pardarshita (transparency). The Minister said these principles would guide CPWD’s transformation into a future-ready organisation and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Addressing officers, employees and retired personnel, Manohar Lal stressed the need to adopt sustainable construction practices, embrace emerging technologies, strengthen institutional capacity and accelerate digital transformation in public infrastructure projects. He also underlined the importance of timely project execution, transparency and an efficient online transfer and posting system within the department.
During the event, the Minister launched several publications and digital initiatives, including technical publications, the annual in-house magazine Nirman Bharati, and the newly developed e-NIRMIT Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) modules, aimed at improving project management and operational efficiency.
He also released the book “India’s Urban Transformation: Reflections from Policy and Practice” and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ coffee table book “India’s Urban Momentum: Towards Making Our Cities Liveable,” showcasing the country’s urban development initiatives.
The Minister presented the Director General’s Medals, Commendation Certificates and Certificates of Merit to officers, employees and project teams for outstanding performance. Awards were also given for the department’s best completed projects, while participants who completed capacity-building programmes received certificates.
A documentary highlighting CPWD’s major infrastructure projects, adoption of modern construction technologies and implementation of the e-NIRMIT ERP modules was screened during the celebrations.
Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Srinivas Katikithala congratulated the department on completing 172 years of service and said CPWD has evolved into a modern, technology-driven organisation capable of executing complex infrastructure projects. He proposed the establishment of a National Council for Public Works to promote innovation, knowledge sharing, capacity building and standardisation across public infrastructure agencies in the country.
The Secretary said such a platform would facilitate collaboration among Central and State government departments, academic institutions, industry and professional bodies while enhancing the quality and sustainability of public works.
Earlier, CPWD Director General Satinder Pal Singh highlighted the department’s achievements over the past year and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering high-quality public infrastructure through innovation, professionalism and timely execution of projects. He said capacity building remains a priority, with training programmes being conducted through the National CPWD Academy in collaboration with premier institutions.
Singh also emphasised the growing adoption of technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital project management tools, advanced construction materials and automation to improve productivity, quality, sustainability and transparency.
Ahead of the Annual Day celebrations, CPWD organised a technical session on July 11, where IIT Hyderabad professor K.V.L. Subramaniam delivered a keynote address on emerging technologies and sustainable construction. A Senior Officers’ Conference was also held to deliberate on ongoing reforms, project delivery, capacity building and the department’s future roadmap.
