Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement giving a go-ahead to the Central Vista redevelopment project, and asserted that the Government has always been sensitive to environmental concerns.
“Delhi is on course to becoming a World Class capital city and in the first step by the time nation completes 75 years of its Independence in 2022 a new Parliament building will be ready reflecting the aspirations of new India,” Puri tweeted.
“We welcome the Judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court giving the go ahead for the ambitious Central Vista Project. Central Govt has always been sensitive to environmental concerns & will continue to adhere to the highest standards during the period of construction,” Puri said.
The Minister also stated that the Speaker’s office had communicated to Secretary-Urban Development on July 13, 2012 highlighting the inadequacies of the existing Parliament building and an urgent need for construction of a new one. Congress was in power then. “Sadly, few Congressmen feign collective amnesia today,” he said.
“In 2012, when his party was in power, Jairam Ramesh had said “We badly need a new Parliament building. This one simply isn’t functional & is outdated”, Puri tweeted.
Meanwhile, after the supreme court verdict, the Central Public Works Department, which is executing the government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project, will soon start the construction work once it gets permission from the Heritage Conservation Committee.
“The CPWD will approach the committee and seek permission before the start of construction work of new Parliament building. Other formalities will also be followed by concerned agencies,” an official in the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said. Another official said that the outlook of the new building will be similar to the existing one that is why there should be no problem in getting permission from the Heritage Conservation Committee
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista — the nation’s power corridor — envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat and revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.
According to the Government’s latest proposal for the redevelopment of the Central Vista, the Prime Minister’s new residential complex will have 10 four-storey buildings with a maximum height of 12 metres.
The CPWD has revised the estimated cost from `11,794 crore to `13,450 crore.
The new Parliament building will have the capacity to seat 888 Lok Sabha MPs while the Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for the members. The government has identified around four locations — in Gole Market, K G Marg, near Africa Avenue and near Talkatora Stadium — in central Delhi for the temporary shifting of offices of various ministries.