Centre Creates Separate Delhi Development Department in Urban Ministry Restructure

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has been bifurcated into two distinct departments, according to a government notification issued on Thursday. The Cabinet Secretariat published the gazette notification amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, establishing the Department of Capital Development, which will focus on Delhi, and the Department of Urban Development, which will oversee national schemes.

Until this change, MoHUA operated without separate departmental divisions. The restructuring aims to streamline governance and ensure dedicated attention to the national capital's unique urban challenges while maintaining the broader mandate for urban development across the country.

Late on Thursday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appointed senior IAS officers to lead the new entities. Gujarat cadre officer D Thara, who served as Additional Secretary in MoHUA, has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Capital Development. Jharkhand cadre officer Satendra Singh, formerly Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, will serve as Secretary of the Department of Urban Development.

The bifurcation is expected to enhance administrative efficiency by allowing focused policy implementation for Delhi's infrastructure and housing needs, separate from the national urban development agenda. The move comes amid ongoing discussions about the governance of the national capital, which has a unique administrative structure with overlapping jurisdictions between the central government and the Delhi government.