The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that nearly 60 per cent work of Central Vista Avenue and 35 per cent work of the new Parliament Building has been completed till now. The Ministry said that Rs 340.58 crore has so far been utilised out of the Rs 971 crore estimated for the construction of the new Parliament building.
The government, however, has planned to hold the 2022 Republic Day parade on the newly-developed Rajpath that comes under the Central Vista Avenue Redevelopment Project.
In a written reply to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore said ss for the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue, 60 per cent of the work had been completed till now at the cost of Rs 190.76 crore against an estimated Rs 608 crore. Resources are being mobilised and site preparation is in progress with regard to the plan to construct common Central Secretariat buildings 1,2 and 3 and the Vice President’s residence.
The minister of State, Kaushal Kishore informed that while Rs 7.85 crore had been spent on the work related to the common Central Secretariat buildings 1,2 and 3 (estimated cost Rs 3690 crore), Rs 15 crore had been spent so far on the project related to the new Vice President's residence against the estimated cost Rs 208.48 crore.
At the inaugural ceremony of two office complexes for the employees of the Defence Ministry and the armed forces here on September 16, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said the Winter Session of Parliament next year would take place in the new Parliament building.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the event, he had said, "I would like to assure you that the redevelopment work of Central Vista Avenue will be completed in two-and-a-half months, where the Republic Day parade will be held."
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the nation's power corridor -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the three-kilometer-long Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, a new prime minister's residence and prime minister's office, and a new Vice President's enclave. In his written reply to Tewari, Kishore said Rs 1,289 crore has been allocated for the development/redevelopment works of Central Vista in the ongoing financial year.
The minister said these works have provided direct livelihood opportunities to more than 10,000 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers on site and off site and generated more than 24.12 lakh man days of employment.