NEW DELHI: Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday visited the construction site of the new Parliament building to take stock of the progress of the project. Later, the minister shared three pictures of the under-construction building — ceiling and glass wall panels — on the social networking site and work is progressing at a steady pace.
The Government has been maintaining that the project will be completed by November and the winter session of Parliament will be held in the new building. “Reviewed ongoing construction at the New Parliament Building today. Work is progressing at a steady pace. Sustainable state-of-the-art building with architectural elements inspired by India’s ancient cultural heritage. Modernity meets tradition,” Puri tweeted. During a visit to Kochi on Friday, the minister said that more than 4,000 people are working round the clock for the construction of the new Parliament building. The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation’s power corridor, envisages a common central secretariat, revamping the three-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, a new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.
In December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building. Tata Projects Ltd is constructing the building. The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
In March, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) Kaushal Kishore told this newspaper said that the construction work of the new Parliament House had been expedited to meet the deadline so that the upcoming winter session can be held in the building as planned by the Government.
Under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the government will also construct an Executive Enclave that will house a new Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.