New Delhi: In a move aimed at fast-tracking infrastructure and environmental initiatives in the national Capital, the Delhi government has set up a dedicated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for the first time. The newly formed body is tasked with overseeing a wide range of development projects, from proposal to execution, ensuring that key schemes are carried out efficiently and transparently.
The unit, comprised of four senior officers from the Public Works Department (PWD), will function full-time to monitor and evaluate progress on critical initiatives including traffic system upgrades, road improvement projects, efforts to
clean the Yamuna River, and programs to tackle Delhi’s air pollution crisis. According to an official notification, the PMU will be involved in each phase of project execution, starting from the tendering process. By keeping a close eye on early-stage planning, the unit is expected to address longstanding issues of delay, mismanagement, and poor inter-agency coordination that often hinder Delhi’s infrastructure work.
The formation of this unit marks a significant shift in how Delhi approaches governance of major civic initiatives. Beyond simply tracking construction timelines, the PMU will also handle air quality-related measures such as dust suppression, air monitoring protocols, and will ensure proper execution of anti-pollution guidelines.
Another important function of the unit is to liaise with Central government bodies for funding and project support under national-level development programs. It will be responsible for drafting and submitting proposals that align with central schemes, thereby potentially unlocking additional resources for the city. Crucially, the PMU will operate independently of the recently formed high-level coordination committee chaired by Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma. That panel, created at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), focuses on eliminating jurisdictional overlaps in major infrastructure undertakings and on implementing the Delhi Master Plan.