Government mulls separate Delhi department

The Union government is considering a plan to carve out a separate department for Delhi within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, according to a May 21 report by The Indian Express. The proposed restructuring would split the ministry into two departments, with one focused on Delhi and the National Capital Region and the other handling the ministry’s remaining work. (indianexpress.com) The report said the idea was on the government’s table this week and would create a second secretary-level post inside the ministry. The proposal matters because the ministry already handles several Delhi-linked institutions and projects, including the National Capital Region Planning Board and parts of the Central Vista redevelopment. (indianexpress.com) The ministry’s official directory lists Manohar Lal as minister, Tokhan Sahu as minister of state and Katikithala Srinivas as secretary, indicating the current structure still operates under a single secretary. (cabsec.gov.in) ### What exactly is being considered inside the ministry? The Indian Express reported on May 21 that the Centre is weighing a bifurcation of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs into two departments. Under the reported plan, one department would focus only on Delhi and the NCR, while the other would continue to oversee the ministry’s broader national urban portfolio. (indianexpress.com) The same report said each department would have its own secretary. At present, the ministry functions under one secretary, who also oversees the Delhi division, according to the report and the government directory. ### Which subjects would move into a Delhi-focused department? (ncrpb.nic.in) The Indian Express said the proposed department’s responsibilities could include Delhi, the National Capital Region and management of the Central Vista project. Those subjects already sit close to the ministry’s existing mandate: the NCR Planning Board operates under the ministry, and the government’s Central Vista portal describes the project as a ministry-led redevelopment of India’s central administrative district in New Delhi. (indianexpress.com) The Union budget documents also show Delhi-linked bodies under the ministry’s spending framework, including the Delhi Urban Art Commission, the NCR Planning Board and the Rajghat Samadhi Committee. That gives the ministry an established Delhi-facing role even before any formal restructuring. (indianexpress.com) ### Why would Central Vista be part of this conversation? The Central Vista project is one of the Centre’s largest ongoing redevelopment efforts in New Delhi, covering Parliament, secretariat buildings and related administrative infrastructure. A government-backed portal says the project is intended to create a new Central Secretariat to house ministries in a more consolidated complex. A February 2025 government statement carried by ETV Bharat said several Central Secretariat buildings under the project were scheduled for completion by May 2025 and April 2026. If oversight of that work shifts to a Delhi-specific department, it would place one of the government’s biggest capital-area projects under a dedicated administrative chain. (indianexpress.com) ### Does this mean the change has already been approved? The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ public website and government directory still show the existing ministry structure. (indiabudget.gov.in) No Gazette notification or public order surfaced in the material reviewed that would indicate the bifurcation has already been formally approved. The Cabinet Secretariat’s Allocation of Business Rules set out how Union government business is assigned among ministries and departments. Any formal restructuring of this kind would ordinarily need to be reflected through that system or through a government notification. (centralvista.gov.in) That is an inference based on the published rules, not an announced next step in this case. ### What should readers watch next? The clearest next marker would be an official notification, ministry order or update to the government’s business-allocation framework showing a separate Delhi department and a second secretary post. (etvbharat.com) The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ website, the eGazette portal and future government directory updates would be the main places to confirm whether the proposal moves from consideration to approval. (cabsec.gov.in) (mohua.gov.in)