Central Vista: Modi raps critics’ silence on def offices
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the critics of the ambitious Central Vista project, saying they conveniently kept silent on defence office complexes being part of the venture as it would have exposed their spreading of “lies” and “misinformation”.
He also asserted that ease of living and ease of doing business were behind the spirit of the work being done under the Central Vista project. Modi made the remarks after inaugurating two new multi-storey swanky office complexes at Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Africa Avenue for over 7,000 employees of the Defence Ministry and the armed forces.
The PM also said he was confident that the work on the new Parliament building will be completed on time. The Opposition, including the Congress, has been attacking the government over the ambitious Central Vista project, calling it a “criminal wastage” of resources and had urged the government to divert money to battling the COVID pandemic.
In his remarks at the event, Modi said, “Today, in the 75th year of Independence, we are taking another step towards developing the capital of our country according to the needs and aspirations of new India. These new defence office complexes are going to further strengthen our efforts to make the working of our forces more convenient and effective,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the modern offices will go a long way in effectively carrying out all the work related to the security of the nation by the three forces. The two buildings, constructed by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry with resources allocated by the Defence Ministry, have an office space of 9.60 lakh sq feet.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said defence office complexes were in line with the PM’svision for ‘New India’ and his commitment to the Central Vista project.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the redevelopment work of the Central Vista Avenue will be completed within two-and-a-half months. According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the project will be ready in time to host the Republic Day parade in 2022.