New Parl building by Aug. 2022

■ Centre aims to hold ’22 Monsoon Session in new House

Chairpersons of all the parliamentary committees were on Thursday apprised about the government’s plan to set up a new Parliament building, which is supposed to come up by 2022, and where the Centre is aiming to hold the Monsoon Session of that year.

In a meeting of the General Purposes Committee (GPC) of Lok Sabha, which was presided over by the Speaker Om Birla, the estimated expenditure of around `5,000 crore for constructing the new Parliament building, was discussed and it is likely to be included in the Finance Bill, which is yet to be passed by Lok Sabha, once the GPC approves it.

With the Finance Bill likely to be taken by Lok Sabha next week, the GPC may approve the expenditure in its next meeting.

The meeting of GPC, sources aware of developments said, was not the final one, and was held to give an idea of the proposed building plan to all chairpersons of parliamentary committees who constitute the GPC.

In the meeting, a presentation was given on the structure of the new Parliament building by representatives of the architectural firm, which would be undertaking the project on behalf of the government.

Sources informed that all the chairpersons of parliamentary panels, who consist of the GPC, attended the meeting, and were informed the design and structure of the proposed Parliament building.

Though several Opposition members like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shashi Tharoor and Bhartruhari Mehtab were present in the meeting, there was no objection made to the proposal by them.

The work on the new Parliament building is likely to begin in August this year and the government aims to complete it before August 2022, so that the Monsoon session of that year is held in the new compound.