Tata Group wins new Parliament building construction contract with lowest bid of Rs 861.90 crore

Tata Projects has won the contract for construction of the new Parliament building with the lowest bid of Rs 861.90 crore, officials said.

On September 16, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) opened financial bids for the new Parliament building construction, which is a part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. The lowest bid was submitted by Tata Projects. Larsen and Toubro's bid was at Rs 865 crore.

"The Tata Projects Limited has won the contract to build a new Parliament building," an official said.

In August, three construction firms had qualified for submission of financial bid for the contract to build a new Parliament building. These included L&T Ltd, Tata Project Ltd and Shapoorji Pallonji and Co Pvt Ltd.

A total of seven firms had submitted pre-qualification bids for the construction of the new building, which is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's ambitious Central Vista Redevelopment Project.

The Central Vista redevelopment project envisages construction of the new Parliament building, close to the existing one. The work is expected to be completed in 21 months at an estimated cost of Rs 889 crore.

"The total plinth area of the proposed building is approximately 65,000 sqm, including the basement area of approximately 16,921 sqm. The building will be ground plus two storeyed with one basement," the CPWD notice inviting pre-qualification bids had said.

The CPWD had invited pre-qualification bids in a two-bid system to construct the triangular shaped building on a built-up area of around 60,000 square metres on plot number 118 of the Parliament House Estate located close to the current Parliament building.

The bid document had laid out the selection criteria that included the construction firm’s previous work such as having constructed an assembly hall with a minimum capacity of 1,000 people, a building with a basement, ongoing projects, average monthly turnover, and net worth.

The new Parliament building would comprise halls with a larger seating capacity for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, offices for members of Parliament, as well as a courtyard, dining facilities and a lounge for lawmakers. Construction is likely to begin after Parliament’s winter session and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The new Parliament complex is among the first projects to be finalised and tendered out as part of the Central Vista redevelopment, which includes plans to turn North and South Block, situated opposite each other on Raisina Hill and which house top central government ministries, into a museum and the construction of new administrative offices with an underground metro.

Last year, Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd had won the consultancy bid for the development of the Master Plan of the Central Vista area and design of the Parliament and the common Central Secretariat buildings.

The timeline given to complete the Central Vista project is November 2021 and work on the Parliament building is to be completed by March 2022 and the common Central Secretariat by March 2024, Housing and Urban Affairs minister Hardeep Puri had said then.

The contract had been awarded at a cost of Rs. 229.7 crore much below the estimated Rs. 448 crore.

Puri had also said the heritage buildings will not be pulled down as part of the iconic plan for a new look.

"This construction is happening with a target to fulfill the needs of at least 250 years. Facilities in Parliament House also need to be augmented to provide sufficient space to members of parliament. This initiative for development and redevelopment of Parliament Building, Central Secretariat and the Central Vista will enable new India to keep pace with the journey into the future," he had said.

The buildings on Raisina Hills were constructed in the period from 1911 to 1931, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen and Sir Herbert Baker. The Parliament building was constructed in the same period. Various buildings along Rajpath have been constructed at different stages for accommodating offices of various central government ministries and departments.