Overview: Central Public Works Department Contractor Enlistment

The Central Public Works Department is the department of Central Government that has been primarily in charge of all public works since its establishment in the year 1854. It is under the direct administration of the Ministry of Housing & Home Affairs and undertakes activities such as planning, designing, construction, and maintenance of important public assets such as official & residential buildings, roads, stadiums, border roads, bunkers, etc., and other public structures under various Ministries and departments of the Government of India.

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Primarily, the CPWD consists of three fields of execution including-

• Buildings and Roads (B&R)
• Electrical and Mechanical (E&M)
• Horticulture.

Contractor Enlistment Registration for Contractors 

Since, the whole process of the identification, planning, designing, and management of the work is undertaken on a large level, there is always the requirement of contractors who undertake the work on behalf of the Government with the utmost level of professionalism and efficiency. Thus, the Government of India has notified the Contractor Enlistment Registration Rules, 2005, which allows any organization or person who wishes to submit CPWD tenders and enlist themselves.

The primary purpose of the Contractor Enlistment registration rules is to keep ready a prepared list of proficient contractors to eliminate wastage of time and to minimize the time involved in the verification & assessment of their credentials at the time of individual tenders.

Further, on 12.07.2021, the CPWD of India notified new Contractor Enlistment Rules 2021(previously Rules 2020) by incorporating some major changes in the existing rules and regulations, which provide for – 

• Reducing the requirements of their ongoing work, 
• Decreasing the minimum required value of completed work(s) for work experience,
• Reducing the prescribed fee for enlistment;
• Establishing a mechanism for submission of online applications and processing requests for enlistment;
• Merging categories of Buildings & Roads with Infrastructure;
• Allowing retired government engineers/horticulturists to submit enlistment applications on the portal;
• Creation of a single and unique definition of "Building Work" for all  the categories; and 
• Allowing contactless verification of certificates issued by Chartered Accountants through the UDIN website;

Eligibility Criteria for CPWD Enlistment Registration

Legal Status of the Applicant- Any of the following will be eligible to make an application for CPWD contractor enlistment subject to the fulfillment to other prescribed conditions-

• Any Indian Individual
• Sole Proprietorship Firm
• Partnership Firm
• Limited Liability Partnership
• Private Limited Company
• Public Limited Company

Work Experience:  As prescribed by the regulations;

Financially sound in nature: Such applicant should be financially sound in nature;

Undertaking: Such applicant should submit an undertaking in the prescribed format (in Annexure-I) providing that he will either hire or procure the required plant & machinery and equipment, in case he doesn’t have them.

Electrical License: The applicant must hold an Electrical License in his name, and where he doesn't hold an electrical license, he may submit an undertaking that he will associate with an agency holding a valid electrical license with prescribed voltage issued by the concerned State Government under the provisions of Section 45 of the Indian Electricity Rules, 1956.

Valid GST registration: Each applicant making an application for enlistment must hold a valid GST registration on the date of making an application for enlistment.

Concessional Banker’s Certificate Amount: Applicants from the SC/ST background shall be required to submit a concessional banker’s certificate of Rs. 4 Lakh for enlistment purposes.

Who is Not Eligible for CPWD Enlistment Registration?

No individual, firm, LLP, public/private company shall be allowed to make an application for enlistment who has one of its partners/directors or officers who have been or is a –

• A dismissed government servant
• Demoted to a lower class of enlistment
• Holds any business expressly banned by any government department /Local body or any autonomous body previously;
• Convicted by a court of law

However, where such a person who has done any wrong but has already been subject to disciplinarian action and such period is over, may be considered for enlistment. 

No person who was employed as an engineer or any other official in any engineering or administrative department of any Central/State PSU or under the Government of India shall be eligible for making an application for enlistment unless one year has elapsed since his retirement or where he has obtained prior permission from his Government employer in this behalf;

Any partner of a firm/LLP or any director of any limited company who has been already enlisted under the regulations shall not be eligible to make an application for enlistment in any other category.

Process of CPWD Enlistment Registration

• Log on to the website (https://cpwd.gov.in/ContractorLogin.aspx) and create a user id and password by providing the applicant's PAN number, which will be registered as a unique applicant id. Once the login id and password are created, the applicant shall be required to apply for enlistment online along with all the above-mentioned documents, duly self-attested by them.
• In the next step, the applicant shall be required to make a fee payment by logging on to the NTR portal and selecting "Quick Payment" on the home page;
• Next, select Ministry 030 - Housing and Urban Affairs” and further “Enlistment fee from contractor” from the available drop-down list on the page;
• Select the DDO as "244189-AE (CASH), CSQ, NIRMAN BHAWAN, and NEW DELHI" for making the final payment from the drop-down list and making payment of the enlistment fee as prescribed in the window.
• Next, you will be required to verify all the details filled once more, after which you can click “Confirm”, which will allow the applicant to move to the “Payment Gateway”
• Complete the payment procedure and download the e-receipt for future reference purposes.

What are the Documents Required for New CPWD Registration?

• Proof of constitution of the business (Partnership Deed in case of partnership firm/LLP Deed in case of LLP, Certificate of incorporation in case of Company, etc.)
• Copy of Board Resolution or Power of attorney;
• Copy of enlistment order if any duly self-attested;
• A list of all close relatives working in the CPWD;
• A list of all completed works in a format prescribed under Annexure-III; 
• Copy of award letters and the final bill for all the completed works duly self-certified;
• Original Banker’s Certificate or Net worth certificate provided from any Scheduled Bank;
• Certificate of average annual Turnover prescribing details of all the work undertaken during the last three financial years ;( optional in some cases)

Benefits of CPWD Registration

Encouragement to Younger Professionals:

Despite professional work experience requirements from enlistment applicants, the CPWD enlistment rules allow unemployed engineers and architects to make an application for enlistment exempting work experience and sound financial conditions criteria while they make an application for the first time;

Employment Opportunities for Retired Professionals:

The CPWD rules allow individuals who retired/or taken voluntary retirement from Central Government/State Government employees or retired Central PSU engineers or architects to make an application for enlistment in any class under the "Buildings &  Roads" category without any work experience but with financial soundness criteria while they make an application for the first time.

Encouraging Public Participation:

The CPWD enlistment rules do provide an opportunity to the public participation in public works, which not only boosts employment but also helps them to get skill training as well as expertise in the concerned services

What is the Validity of Registration?

Once accepted, the CPWD enlistment registration will be valid for a total period of five years and shall also be eligible for review and revalidation on the expiry of the registration.

The enlistment registration shall be open to being reviewed by the enlisting authorities and is also liable to be suspended or canceled if considered necessary by the authorities after giving an opportunity of being heard to the concerned contractor.

Such enlistment contractors shall be required to file a re-validation form in the format prescribed under Annexure-I of CPWD enlistment rules 2021 along with the prescribed fee.

Cancellation of the Enlistment Registration-

However, the enlistment registration shall be liable to be rejected under the following circumstances-

• During the validity period of five years, the contractor shall be expected to put a bid for public works of appropriate magnitude, if the contractor fails to bid during five years, the license shall be canceled and ineligible for re-validation or fresh registration.
• Fails to execute a contract properly or executes it an unsatisfactory manner; 
• Violates any conditions as agreed to in pursuance of the contract;
• Fails to abide by any of the conditions of enlistment; oris found to have obtained enlistment registration through any false statement or misrepresentation
• Deliberately indulges in forgery or falsification of records in any manner;
• Fails to intimate to the enlisting authority regarding changes in the constitution of the firm or fails to obtain the prior permission of the authority;
• Alters name of the entity without obtaining prior approval of the enlisting authority; 
• Changes registered permanent/business address without prior intimation to the enlisting authority; 
• Such individual or business entity is found to be in the state of being declared insolvent, wound up, dissolved or partitioned
• Is found to be functioning in violation of labor regulations;
• Is found to be involved in any complaint of serious nature received from any reliable source; 
• Is found to be in default of tax settlements under either income tax or GST 
• Ceases to meet the eligibility criteria on whose basis enlistment was done