Shimla: Special training planned to enhance skills of PWD officers
Himachal Pradesh: To keep pace with emerging technologies and strengthen institutional capacity, the Public Works Department (PWD) has launched a special training initiative for officers of the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) and above. PWD Secretary Abhishek Jain announced the move during the formal launch of the department’s annual training calendar. Jain said the calendar outlines year-long training programmes designed to enhance in-service skills and prepare officers for future responsibilities. “The training calendar focuses not only on in-service skill enhancement but also capacity building for future responsibilities,” he said. To meet the growing challenges in infrastructure development, the department will provide specialized technical training through reputed institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other nationally recognized engineering and management institutes.
The areas of focus include road safety, sustainable infrastructure, green building technologies, e-governance, project management and use of modern construction materials. The calendar, approved by Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, also provides for mandatory training for officers under consideration for promotion – from junior engineers to subdivision officers (SDOs) and subdivision officers to executive engineers. Additionally, training sessions will be held at the regional level, involving officers from all departments of the PWD, including electrical, mechanical and architectural divisions. Jain said that given the pace of technological advancement, there is an urgent need to equip officers with modern engineering knowledge for designing and constructing roads, tunnels, bridges and buildings. The training modules will include geotechnical studies, environmental assessments, building information modelling (BIM), GIS-based planning and modern survey techniques using drones.
Along with external collaborations, in-house training will also be organised in partnership with reputed technical institutes. The first phase of the programme aims to cover around 400 senior officers, to ensure that leadership roles across the department are in line with the latest technological and financial best practices. Jain attributed this initiative to the vision of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, who has constantly emphasised on capacity building, innovation and adoption of modern governance practices. He said this training framework is expected to significantly enhance efficiency, accountability and service delivery in the Public Works Department – ultimately leading to better infrastructure outcomes for the people of the state.
