With CPWD completing 160 years of service, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday praised the premier Government construction agency for its contribution while asking it to become “smarter and more dynamic” to withstand competition.
Stating that “it is understandable that old organisations are often burdened with out-dated practices,” the President urged CPWD “to focus on areas where innovation and modernisation in the infrastructure sector can lead to accelerated economic development.”
In his inaugural address at the 160th Annual Day celebration of CPWD in the capital, he suggested the CPWD to look at providing last mile connectivity of rural roads, health and educational infrastructure, water supply and sanitation.
Referring to sustainable habitats as the need of the hour and energy-efficient building as the important strategy for sustainable urban development, the President asked CPWD to “adopt innovative designs and practices for construction.” He also emphasised the need for adopting state of the art procedures for maintenance of assets.
Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said that CPWD’s objective should be 3 Cs (Conceptualise, Compete and Complete in time) through a strategy of 3 S (Skill, Scale and Speed). He also announced the setting up of ‘National Academy of Public Works’ at Ghaziabad for which the CPWD has been allotted 130 acres of land for this purpose. “This new institute will have a technology park with various resource centres related to public health engineering, rain water harvesting, solid waste management,” Naidu said.