UT civil works come to halt after withdrawal of financial powers

A wave of uncertainty has gripped the administrative system after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered the withdrawal of financial powers from UT officers.

The directive has brought development projects and routine maintenance work to a near-complete halt.

According to officials, no new tender has been issued for the past five days, leading to a “freeze” on planned works across departments.

As per the administration’s e-tendering portal, the last tender was floated on October 1. Since then, the system has been at a standstill as officials await approvals from Delhi.

Under the new order, expenditures or works worth over Rs 1.5 crore now require prior approval from the MHA. This sudden change has led to confusion among departments, with many choosing to halt work till a clarification was received.

The timing has worsened the situation, coinciding with the festive season when repair, painting and decoration work of government buildings is usually carried out on priority. This year, however, these activities have been suspended. Routine maintenance of government quarters, offices and institutions has also been stalled, causing inconvenience to employees and the public alike. “Wherever we call, the answer is the same — tenders are not being issued and approval is awaited,” said a resident living in government housing.

The impact is not limited to engineering and civic works. The health and social welfare departments are also feeling the pinch. A senior official said fresh tenders for the supply of essential medicines had not been issued. “If the situation is not resolved soon, we could face shortage of medicines in days to come,” the official said.

UT departments are seeking clarity on which categories of expenditure will require MHA’s approval and which works they can continue in routine.