Central Vista: Construction of New Parliament Building Begins

Earlier this week, a 14-member heritage panel gave its approval to the new Parliament building while also giving the go-ahead to the Central Vista redevelopment project.

(Image: The Quint)

The construction of the new Parliament building, which is expected to be completed by the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence in 2022, started on 15 January, news agency PTI reported.

The construction begins a month after PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project, on 10 December, under the government’s ambitious and controversial Central Vista redevelopment plan.

Earlier this week, a 14-member heritage panel gave its approval to the new Parliament building while also giving the go-ahead to the Central Vista redevelopment project.

Their approval came after the SC directed the government to get approvals from relevant authorities, including the 14-member heritage panel. "Our plans of action are already in place to accelerate the schedule by augmenting resources like skilled manpower and formwork etc," said Sandeep Navlakhe, vice president and business unit head of Tata Projects Ltd, to PTI.

He added that procurement activities were happening for the last 35 days and reinforcements required in the walls were already ready. “We are more than confident that we will be able to deliver this building to the nation on or before time," he said.

The existing Parliament building was built nearly 94 years ago at the cost of Rs 83 lakh and will be turned into a museum eventually. 

The new building will have a larger Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to accommodate an expanded Parliament after the freeze on its expansion lifts in 2021.

Besides the new Parliament building, the redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor envisages a common central secretariat, revamping of the three kilometre Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Prime Minister's Residence and Prime Minister's Office, and a new Vice-President Enclave.