NEW DELHI: The construction of the new Parliament building and Vice-President Enclave saw cost escalation due to rising prices of essential materials like steel and cement, and hike in wages and GST rates, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.
According to the ministry of housing and urban affairs, expenditures also increased because additional security provisions were made and changes in design of the buildings brought in considering the location in a seismic zone.
Responding to details sought about the timeline for the completion of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that the construction of Common Central Secretariat (CCS) 1, 2 and 3 is expected to be completed by May.
“There was cost escalation in New Parliament Building and Vice President Enclave due to…increase in GST rate from 12 per cent to 18 per cent w.e.f. 01.07.2022, increase in prices of steel, cement and increase in labour wages during the period of execution of work, additional security provisions decided by security agencies and variations in view of design of structure according to earthquake zone V for New Parliament Building,” Sahu said in Lok Sabha.
The ministries operating from the North and South blocks, including finance, home ministries, defence and department of personnel and training, will move to the new buildings — CCS 1, 2 and 3. Movement from the South Block is likely to begin by August.
As per the plans, all 51 Central government ministries and departments will move into 10 CCS buildings coming up along the Kartavya Path. The Raksha Bhawan complex is being redeveloped into CCS Building 10.
In October 2019, the ministry had said the deadline given to CPWD to complete the Central Vista project was November 2021 and CCS by March 2024. The deadlines were missed.
After shifting of the ministries’ offices, North and South blocks will be converted into Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum.