Describing the new Parliament building as a “necessity”, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said no lawmaker had raised an objection when a request for it was made by both the Houses — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — to the Centre. He regretted that some of the MPs were objecting to it now.
About MPs from Opposition parties including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi opposing the project, Birla said it was both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha which had requested the Central Government for a new parliament building. “When the request for a new parliament building was made by both the houses, no MP had objected to it. No one has approached me opposing it,” Birla said.
Opposition parties and the BJP are engaged in a political slugfest over the construction of the new building. The opposition parties say the project should be stopped to save funds for management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Birla said the construction activities are going on at a good pace and is presently running 16 days behind the scheduled completion date October 2022. “We were (initially) 27 days ahead of schedule. But after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic (second wave), the construction is now 16 days behind schedule,” Birla said during the special offline media briefing at Parliament Annexe to count on his two years in the office as Speaker.
Birla said the existing building cannot be expanded and does not cater to the needs of changing times. “The existing building is a historical one. Many historic decisions were taken in this building. But it cannot be expanded further and therefore a new building is a necessity,” he said.
Birla mentioned the new-age green building is being built at a cost of about `900 crore. “We have been saving money in Parliament workings and over `400 crore has been saved so far in two years by cost cutting measures,” he said.
On the Lok Sabha productivity ever since he assumed charge in the current Lok Sabha, he said the lower house has operated at 122 percent productivity. “107 bills have been passed,” he said. Birla said that legislative business has increased and discussions have lasted longer than the scheduled time over the years. “A historic number of issues have been raised in the House and 90% of them were replied to by the ministers. In these two years, on one day, 161 members raised issues of public concern,” said Birla. On the occasion he mentioned that 440 Lok Sabha MPs have informed the Lok Sabha that they have taken Covid vaccines.