Law dept to restart Delhi judicial quarters project in Dwarka
Officials said that the law department will now be the primary executing agency, with the PWD only expected to contribute funding and consultation support
New Delhi
Nearly a year after the Public Works Department (PWD) demolished its structurally unfit judicial quarters in Dwarka’s Sector 19, the Delhi government’s law department is set to restart the project with a fresh design and new implementation strategy, officials aware of the developments said.
The department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs (LJ&LA) has started the process to appoint a project management consultant (PMC) to construct housing for judicial officers on the 10,000 square-metre plot. The project is estimated to cost ₹171 crore and the construction is expected to take about two years, officials said.
“It was decided that the work of the building will be handed over to the law department that can ensure stricter oversight and quality control. The PWD contractors were also quoting a higher budget,” an official aware of the developments said, requesting anonymity.
In December 2024, the PWD demolished the judicial quarters built in 2016 in Dwarka Sector 19. A survey of the seven-storeyed apartments—for judges and judicial staff with 70 quarters in six towers—in 2023, before handover of possession, found it structurally unfit. The PWD decided to demolish and rebuild it.
Officials said that the law department will now be the primary executing agency, with the PWD only expected to contribute funding and consultation support.
The proposed residential complex will include 52 type-V quarters and 34 Type-VI quarters, along with two basements and a substation. A committee of Delhi High Court judges has vetted the broad design requirements, while the PMC will hire architectural consultants to finalise detailed plans and obtain necessary statutory approvals, officials said.
Government quarters range from type-I to type-VII that are allotted as per seniority. Types V and VI are allotted to senior officers and high-ranking officials.
Officials said the buildings will be green, energy-efficient and compliant with the Delhi Master Plan 2021 and Unified Building Bye Laws 2016, with provisions for modern services such as firefighting systems, lifts, solar lighting, and disabled-friendly access. The PMC will be tasked not only with design and supervision but also with end-to-end project management—from soil testing and hydrological surveys to quality control during construction.
Tender documents show that the pre-construction stage, which includes surveys, design development and approval of detailed estimates, will span six months, and the on-ground construction is expected to take a year and a half. After this, the PMC will oversee operations and maintenance for another two years.
Officials said that in the previous structure, the contractor had used groundwater with high chloride content for construction instead of the water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board, leading to corrosion of the iron rebars and cracks in the concrete. Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma recently ordered the suspension of nine departmental officials, an inquiry and an FIR against the contractor.
