Oppn slams Centre for allotting ₹20k-cr for project amid Covid

NEW DELHI: Leaders of various opposition parties have criticised the Union government’s move for allotting ₹20,000 crore for the Central Vista redeveloped project and notifying the land use change amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor has suggested that the Centre must supplement ₹15,000 crore out of the amount earmarked for the project and use it for dealing with Covid-19 pandemic.

“As an MP, I appeal to the Prime Minister to divert ₹20,000 crore earmarked for new Parliament building & Central Vista to supplement the ₹15,000 crore allotted to fight Covid19, which is merely ₹20 crore per district. Grand spending on buildings at this time of crisis is a postponable luxury,” Tharoor tweeted.

The Centre had last week notified the land use change of over 86-acre area in Lutyens’ Delhi that currently houses some of India’s landmark buildings like the Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block and South Block, among others, to expedite completion of the ₹20,000-crore Central Vista redevelopment project.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said, “Question to Modi ji -- why are we spending only ₹15,000 cr to fight Covid-19 but you just approved ₹ 20,000 cr for unnecessary Central Vista Project? Dangerous misallocation of resources and misplaced priorities.”

CPI (M) chief Sitaram Yechury criticised the Centre’s timing on issuing the land use change notification. “Modi government priorities are cruel. When all resources must be mopped up to meet this Covid-19 challenge a Gazette notification is issued for the Rs 20,000 crore Central Vista project. Shame,” Yechury tweeted.

The land use change was notified on March 20, even as a petition challenging the project is pending in the Supreme Court.

The apex court, earlier this month, transferred all writ petitions filed before the Delhi High Court challenging the Central Vista project to itself.

HT had reported earlier that Centre’s application seeking environmental clearance for construction of a Parliament complex has been deferred by the Union ministry of environment, and the proposal is likely to be reconsidered after pending court cases are resolved.