Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport, Royal Government of Bhutan

The Ministry of Works and human Settlement was established in 2003 with the two main technical Departments, Department of Roads and the Department of Urban Development and Engineering Services. The first organization formed in 1961 to look after the construction was called Bhutan Engineering Services, which in 1966 was renamed the Public Works Department (PWD). The public works Department, initially under the Ministry of Development and later under Ministry of Social Services was the main builder of infrastructure pertaining to both rural and urban settlements. Later, under the Ministry of Communications, the Department of Roads and the Department of Urban Development and Housing are the two main technical Departments. Although confronted by many new challenges brought by the increasing demand from sectors like Education, Health, Urbanization pressure and the Private Sector, growth has been achieved in establishing the basic infrastructure facilities. During the re-structuring of the Royal Government, on ” Enhancing Good Governance – Promoting Efficiency, Transparency and Accountability” in 1999, a number of recommendations emerged. One recommendation was to restructure the Ministry of Communications and a new Ministry for Construction later named as Ministry of Works & Human Settlement be established. Accordingly, the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement was established in 2003. Today, the ministry has been reorganized and renamed as Ministry of Infrastructure and Trasnport.