Centre sends revised Parliament bldg plan
NEWDELHI: The Centre has submitted a revised application to the environment ministry for the new Parliament building of the Central Vista redevelopment project after an expert appraisal committee (EAC) on infrastructure deferred its environment clearance last month.
A new Parliament building with enhanced technology and a capacity to seat several hundred more parliamentarians in both the Upper and Lower houses was to be built as part of a Rs 20,000 crore redevelopment project in Lutyens’ Delhi planned out in a phased manner over the next four years. The new Parliament complex was expected to be ready by 2022.
In its application which has been reviewed by the Hindustan Times, the union ministry of housing and urban affairs’ construction arm, Central Public Works Department, has stated the project cost for new Parliament building has been increased from Rs 776 crore to Rs 922 crore instead “due to changes in specifications which have been approved after application submission.” The EAC is scheduled to hear the matter on April 22.
Addressing concerns raised over the project in the application stated that “there will be no adverse impact due to construction activities on existing structures and suitable precautions will be accordingly made… Air pollution will be minimized by water sprinklers and by covering the vehicles during transport. The trucks used for transport will be thoroughly checked for emission parameters and will be properly maintained.” In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, almost all opposition parties have urged the Centre to shelve the project and spend money efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The new two-storied Parliament building is to come up on a triangular plot close to the existing Parliament. It has been designed to seat at least 1300 parliamentarians. Both the Rajya and Lok Sabha have been designed to have up to date audiovisual features, improved acoustic technology, as well as better seating design to ensure efficiency and productivity while the houses are in session. The new building will also have an open to sky courtyard, meeting halls, cafeterias and MP’s offices.
The existing Parliament building, almost 90 years old, has faced deterioration over the years due to environmental conditions, and the project aimed to preserve the building by retrofitting to make it compliant to safety standards.