Responsibilities and Duties of Officer in Engineering Department

(As have been enumerated in OPWD Code, which is in line with CPWD Code & accepted by the
Finance Department, Government of Odisha from time to time).

Engineer-in- Chief:

1. Engineer-in- Chief is responsible to Government in Administrative

department for efficient Administrative & professional control, over the
Public Works within his jurisdiction, by exercising full technical &
supervisory control on the officers under him.

2. (a) Functions as Heads of the Department and represents his organisations /

wing before the respective administrative department.

(b) He is the appointing authority of Group-C Special declared Gazetted

Employees like Junior Engineers, etc.

3. (a) The Engineer-in-Chief is accountable for preparation of Budget,

Appropriation of funds & being budget control authority, he is accountable
to Accountant General.

(b) He is vested with his full power for Technical Sanction ( thereby
approval of structural design , drawing , tenders etc. (Full Power), Power of
Administrative approval up to Rs 6.0 crore & processing of tenders beyond
worth of 4.0 crores, as per the prevailing OPWD Code.

4. In case of exigencies, like natural calamities

a) The Engineer - in- Chief develops the objectives for achieving goals
of his Organisation/ Wing/ Department.
b) He establishes policies necessary for effective and efficient
organisation along with effective management information system.

5. Ensures the periodical reviews of organisational performances.

6. Supervise and oversee the activities & performances of the Chief Engineers
& Superintending Engineers, who report directly to the E.I.C.
Chief Engineer:

1. Chief Engineer is responsible to Government in Administrative department

either directly or through the Engineer-in-Chief for the efficient
Administrative & professional control of the Public Works within, his
Jurisdiction, by exercising full technical & supervisory control, on all the
officers under him.

2. Being one of the declared heads of the Department as per Rule-20,

Appendix-III of Odisha Service Code, is the appointing authority up to Gr-
C (Specially declared Gazetted Officers) like Junior Engineer; performs as a
State Level Officer.

3. (a) The Chief Engineer is accountable for preparation of Budget,

Appropriation of funds & being budget control authority, he is accountable
to Accountant General.

(b) He is vested with his full power for Technical Sanction (Full Power)
thereby approval of structural design , drawing , tenders etc., Power of
Administrative approval up to Rs 4.0 crore & processing of tenders beyond
worth of 4.0 crores, as per the prevailing OPWD Code.

4. In case of exigencies, like natural calamities

a) The Chief Engineer shoulders the responsibilities for proper, effective

& timely completion of the restoration of Public properties.
b) In case of inadvertent situation like organizing 23 rd Asian Athletic
Meet, VVIP visit, etc along with arduous nature of construction like
Gurupriya Seth in Moist infected area. The Chief Engineer takes the
responsibility for timely & effective completion of such assignment/
Project.
 Superintending Engineer:

1. The administrative unit for the engineering department is a circle, headed by the
Superintending Engineer, who is responsible to the Concerned Chief Engineer &
Engineer-in-Chief in this Department, for administrative & general professional
control of Public Works, within a Circle, by exercising the technical sanction power
of works worth between Rs. 1.0 crore to Rs.4.0 crore, along with administrative
approval up to Rs. 15.0 lakhs, as per the prevailing OPWD Code.

2. Besides the above, the Superintending Engineer in a field Circle parallelly reports to the
Revenue Divisional Commissioner for other administrative purposes.

3. As has been declared since independence, as one of the heads of the Department vide
Rule-20, Appendix-III of the Odisha Service Code is the appointing authority of the
Gr-III (Non-Gazetted) employees like junior clerks, work Sarkar, and pump operators
etc. under his Circle.

4. (a) The Superintending Engineer is responsible for reporting any un-usual occurrence or
accidents involving loss of life / government properties besides the approval for
engineering features of all designs and drawings.
(b) He is responsible for accuracy of rates in the estimates, and functions as
Chairman of the Dispute Redressal Board (DRB) for their Circle.
(c) He shall make financial inspection of safety, stability and functionality for major,
sophisticated, complicated & peculiar structures, before final settlement of bills.
(d) He gave plugging orders for Well Foundations in Major Bridge structures over
River.

5. He functions in following positions in different organisations as :

i. Chief Construction Engineer
ii. Project Director
iii. Director
iv. Inspector of Local Works for ULBs
v. Authority Engineer
vi. Independent Engineer
as and when project situation & administrative requirement of department demands.

6.
Executive Engineer (Divisional Officer):

1. (a) The Executive Engineer, being a Divisional Officer in the field has been
functioning as a district level officer, who parallelly reports to the Collectors &
District Magistrate of a district, apart from responsible to the Superintending
Engineer of his Circle.
(b) He is the appointing authority of Group-IV employees of his jurisdiction.

2. The Executive Engineer is responsible for efficient execution & management of

all works, under his division & to see that they are suitable & economically
carried out.
3. The Executive Engineer ensures preparation of plans & estimates to ensure
complication of work as per the approved drawing & plan & according to the
terms of the Contract.
4. He is responsible for preparation of budget of the divisional Jurisdiction & to
ensure the timely / prompt expenditure thereof, as per prescribed norms &
procedures.
5. The Executive Engineer is responsible for careful collection of data necessary for
the structural design for construction of roads, bridges, dams, canal structures,
Water treatment plants etc.
6. He is responsible for preservation of all Public structures, under his Jurisdiction.
7. During natural Calamities like Flood & Cyclone, the Executive Engineer plays a
very vital role by restoring the connectivity for movement of relief operations,
restoration of drinking water supply system at the earliest for benefit of the
public.
8. The divisional officer is addition to his duties, will consider himself to be the
professional advisor of all departments of the state government within the limit of
his Jurisdiction.
9. The Executive Engineer is accountable for the sanctity of all the Public
expenditures to the Accountant General as well as to the Chief Engineer /
Engineer-in-Chief as budget control authority.
10. The Executive Engineer, exercises power of technical sanction for the works
worth upto 1.0 crore, along with its tender processing activities, as per the
prevailing OPWD Code. He is therefore one of the declared tender publishing as
well as tender opening authorities in e-procurement procedure.
Deputy Executive Engineer

1. The Deputy Executive Engineer is normally placed at the Head Quarter Sub-
Division of a Division/ District, carrying more responsibility and work load. In
absence of Executive Engineer, he takes care of the Division and carries its usual
responsibilities. He is senior amongst all the sub-divisional heads.

2. Besides the above, a Deputy Executive Engineer is placed in each circle Office as
Assistant to Superintending Engineer. He acts as D.D.O. (Drawing & Disbursing
Officer) of the Circle ensures planning, monitoring , reviewing the
implementation issues of works, creation of tenders, opening & evaluation
tender , etc. in a Circle Office.

3. He is responsible to assist the Superintending Engineer/ Executive Engineer for

supervision of full-roll-out of end-to-end e-procurement and monitoring of the on-
line procurement activities.

4. A deputy Executive Engineer, as a sub-divisional officer in field also discharges

the typical responsibilities of the Assistant Executive Engineer.
Assistant Executive Engineer

1. An Assistant Executive Engineer, usually, posted in a sub-division, is responsible

to the divisional officer / Executive Engineer, in all matters, concerned with the
efficient management & execution of works, within his sub-division.

2. He is responsible for field survey, soil investigation, preparation of plans and

estimates, submission of Bills for timely expenditure.

3. He is also responsible for quality parameters of various deliverables.

4. He is responsible to inspect all works of any magnitude before recommending

for payment. He is responsible for check measurement of all important works and
shall check measure at least 50% of the measurements of the Works executed as
per prevailing OPWD Code.

5. Typically, the Assistant Executive Engineer coordinates and exercises the direct
administrative and supervisory control over the sections headed by either
Assistant Engineer or Junior Engineer.