Representative photo: Reuters

NEW DELHI: The Central Public Works Department ( CPWD ) is set to undergo a mega restructuring exercise in which it will have digital systems to monitor projects real-time and assess performance of staff online.

The CPWD, which comes under the housing and urban affairs ministry, has engaged a London-based agency to conduct a comprehensive study to establish the new system.

The move is intended to ensure transparency, accountability and work quality in the department, CPWD director general Prabhakar Singh told PTI.

"The CPWD is in the process to undergo a complete restructuring exercise under which various initiatives will be taken by us. The initiatives include 100 per cent digitisation and real-time monitoring of ongoing projects to ensure their timely-execution," he said.

According to the infrastructure building agency, it has around 400 projects centres across the country, which can be monitored through online software.

"We have hired an agency to carry out a study on how to restructure the CPWD through a proper system.

"As per the plan, Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) of CPWD officials from bottom to top will also be done through the designated software," Singh said.

The new system is expected to come into effect by October, 2019, according to the director general.

The CPWD is the government's largest construction agency and it looks after maintenance of central government buildings and erecting of fences on the country's international borders, among others.

The agency also carries out projects in foreign countries under friendship programmes with India.

The CPWD will build a 124-bed mental hospital in strife-torn South Sudan under a friendship programme between the two countries.

The agency will build the hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore.

