OPPN DISCOURSE AGAINST CENTRAL VISTA BIZARRE, SAYS MINISTER HARDEEP PURI

Amid criticism for continuing with the Central Vista project during the pandemic, Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday attacked the Congress, terming the opposition’s objections “bizarre.”

“Congress’s discourse on Central Vista is bizarre. Cost of Central Vista is about ₹20,000 crore, over several years. GOI has allocated nearly twice that amount for vaccination! India’s healthcare budget for just this year was over ₹3 lakh crore. We know our priorities. There are hundreds of projects being executed by various depts. Governance hasn’t come to a standstill, unlike the Congress’s times of policy paralysis,” Puri tweeted.

The minister’s tweet came hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government for executing the project, terming it a “criminal wastage”, while asking the dispensation to focus on people’s lives during the pandemic.

“Central Vista is just another ongoing project. It’s only the Congress that’s obsessed about it, nobody else. Moreover, only projects for New Parliament Building & rejuvenation of Central Vista Avenue have been awarded at an estimated cost of ₹862 crore & ₹477 crore respectively till now,” Puri added in a series of tweets.

Earlier this week, the proposal for the new Vice President’s estate, and Prime Minister’s house were granted environment clearance by the environment ministry’s expert appraisal committee (EAC). The overall cost of project, which also includes a common Central Secretariat, has been estimated at ₹13,450 crore.

PURI’S TWEET CAME HOURS AFTER RAHUL GANDHI CRITICISED THE MODI GOVT FOR EXECUTING THE PROJECT