Lok Sabah speaker Om Birla on Saturday announced the date of the bhumi Pujan of the new parliament building.
After the months of clearance procedures and court petition, the wait for the start of the ambitious project of Modi government is now over. From the increased capacity to the grand Constitution Hall - there are many things you should know about the project.
When will the construction start?
Loksabha speaker Om Birla on Saturday said that PM Narendra Modi will lay the foundation and perform 'bhumi pujan' for new Parliament building in New Delhi on December 10. Thus the construction of a new Parliament building will begin in December this year.
Who will construct the new building?
In September, the Tata Projects Limited has won the contract to build a new Parliament building.
What is the estimated cost of the project?
The estimated cost of construction of the new Parliament building is Rs 971 crore, union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri informed Parliament in the recent parliament session. It is an increase of Rs 82 crore from the Centre’s initial estimate. The Tata Projects Limited on Wednesday won the bid to construct a new Parliament building at a cost of Rs 861.90 crore.
When will the new building be ready?
As per the information shared by the Lok Sabha Secretariat in October 2020, the construction of a new Parliament building will begin in December this year and is likely to be completed by October 2022.
Why is the government constructing a new building?
In response to a question raised by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Mala Roy in the Lok Sabha in the recent session, union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri, said that the facilities and amenities of the 93-year-old existing Parliament building “are highly inadequate to meet the current demand of the Parliament.”
"There is an acute shortage of office space and there are no individual chambers for Members of Parliament. This building was not meant for bicameral Parliament and has been over-stressed through large scale retrofitting done over the years,” Puri added. The new building will have better seating capacity.
He also stated that there is a shortage of working space, parking, amenities and services in these buildings for an efficient office atmosphere in the other buildings like Krishi Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan.
Explaining further, he also stated that the project will generate a large number of direct and indirect employment and provide better public facilities to tourists visiting the main boulevard of New Delhi extending from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate.
Details of the plan:
Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Designs has designed the Central Vista redevelopment project. The firm has the responsibility of preparing the master plan of the project, including designs landscape and traffic integration plans, and parking facilities among others.
The redevelopment project of Central Vista -- the nation’s power corridor -- envisages a new triangular parliament building, a common central secretariat and revamping of the 3-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.
The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
Under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the prime minister’s residence and office are also likely to be shifted near the South Block and the vice-president’s new house will be in the vicinity of the North Block.
According to the plan, the vice president’s current residence is among those buildings identified by the government for demolition in Lutyens’ Delhi for the purpose of the project. There are plans to covert the North and South Blocks, which symbolise the government’s authority since their inception in Lutyens’ Delhi, into museums.
What will happen to the old building?
The existing building is a British era building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker who were responsible for planning and construction of New Delhi.
The Foundation Stone of the existing Parliament House was laid on February 12, 1921, and the construction took six years and cost Rs 83 lakh at that time. The opening ceremony was performed on January 18, 1927, by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin.
The existing building is a massive circular edifice of 560 feet in diameter.
The Parliament House Estate is enclosed by an ornamental red sandstone wall or iron grills with iron gates that can be closed when occasions demand. The building has in all twelve gates.
The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.
(With inputs from PTI)
