Highlights:
- New Parliament’s groundbreaking ceremony to take place on Thursday
- PM Modi along with many others to attend the ceremony
- The new parliament is part of Central Vista project which will cost ₹ 20,000 crore
Marking the symbolic launch of the new parliament as the part of the Central Vista project, today, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is attending the groundbreaking ceremony at the heart of the national capital, near India Gate.
The actual construction of the new parliament, however, cannot begin right away as a petition challenging the project is pending in the Supreme Court of India.
The new parliament building will be the key part of the Central Vista project which has an estimated cost of ₹ 20,000 crore and aims to build as well as refurbish the old government buildings on part of the 3 kilometres Rajpath which stretches from the iconic War Memorial at the India Gate all the wat to the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s House).
The ceremony is set to being at 12:55 PM and the bhoomi poojan along with the laying of the foundation stone will take place at 1:00 PM. At 2:15 PM the Prime Minister will address the people.
The proposed new parliament house will feature 4 stories and will cover an area of 64,500 square metres. The building will cost ₹ 971 crore and was won by the Tata Group.
It is estimated that the new parliament project will be completed by the 75th Independence of India, 15th August 2022.
The new parliament will have a total seating capacity of 888 members in the Lok Sabha with an option to increase it further to 1,244 members during the joint sessions. The Rajya Sabha chamber of the new parliament will have a seating capacity of 384 members.
The increased seating capacity was made keeping the future in mind. As of now, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have a sanctioned seating strength of 543 members and 245 members, respectively.
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Every member of the Parliament will be given with an office space of 40 square metres in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan which is estimated to be completed by the year 2024.
The new building will celebrate the glorious heritage of India with contributions from sculptors and artisans from all over India.
The reason for the construction of a new parliament building was felt due to the limitations of the one used currently, which was built during the British period. As the complexity, depth and scope of both legislative and parliamentary work increasing over the last few years, many members have expressed a requirement for modern and hi-tech facilities.
The existing building cannot be refurbished to house the new communication, security and also the earthquake safety instruments as it would most likely cause damane to the 93 year old building. Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, said that the old parliament building will be conserved as it is an archaeological asset of the country.
The parliament house in use right now was opened back on 18th January 1927 and took 6 years to construct. The giant circular building houses 144 sandstone columns and the building was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, who also designed the heart of Delhi – from the seat of the government in the North Block to the iconic Connaught Place.
Just last week, the Supreme Court of India pulled the central government where it accused it of “pushing forward aggressively” with the new parliament building project when the decision in the matter is pending.
The court said, “You can lay the foundation stone, you can carry on paperwork but no construction or demolition, no cutting down any trees”.
The total Central Vista project is going to be aligned along the entire Rajpath which is the 3 kilometres long road which is lined with parks on both its side and stretched from India Gate to President’s House.
The government said, “At the end of it, on the banks of Yamuna, will stand the Nav Bharat Udyan — a 20-acre park with an iconic structure and infotainment facilities that will showcase the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage and scientific achievements. It will symbolize the country’s unity in diversity and aspirations of the New India”.
