India to have new parliament building! PM Modi to lay foundation stone in December under Central Vista project

The foundation stone for the new Parliament building is likely to be laid in the first half of December by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides, around five statues, including the statues of Mahatma Gandhi as well as Bhim Rao Ambedkar that are present in the existing Parliament complex, are expected to be temporarily relocated due to the construction work. According to the sources quoted in a PTI report, they will be reinstalled at prominent places within the new complex, once the project is completed. The new Parliament building will be set up close to the existing building under the redevelopment project of the Central Vista. It is expected to be completed in a period of 21 months from the start of construction work.

The Central Vista redevelopment project will include a new triangular parliament building, revamping of the 3 km long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and a common central secretariat. According to the sources quoted in the report, although December 10 is the proposed date of laying the new Parliament building’s foundation stone, the final date would depend on the PM’s availability. As per the plan, the new parliament building will have separate offices for all MPs and as a step towards creating “paperless offices”, it will be equipped with the latest digital interfaces.

There will be a grand Constitution Hall in the new building to showcase the democratic heritage of India, a lounge for MPs, multiple committee rooms, dining areas, a library, as well as ample parking space. The iconic statue of Mahatama Gandhi that is 16-feet high is located opposite Gate Number 1 of Parliament House. In the month of September, the bid to construct a new parliament building was won by Tata Projects Limited, at a cost of Rs 861.90 crore.

According to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), during the entire period of execution of the project, the existing parliament building will continue to function. Once the new parliament building is ready, the existing building will be used for other purposes. The new building’s plinth shall match that of the existing building, which is around 1.8 metres above the ground level, the CPWD added.