The New Parliament building that has an ambitious target of completion by October this year is almost near the half-way mark with 44% work for the new building completed at a cost of Rs 480 crore incurred so far, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
The government’s aim is to conduct the winter session of the Parliament in the new building. 80% work for the re-developed Central Vista Avenue or the Rajpath has been completed at Rs 441 crore while the physical progress for the Vice President President’s enclave is at 3% and the three new Common secretariat buildings too are at 3% with Rs 243 crore spent so far, according to a response in Parliament by the ministry of housing and urban affairs.
Earlier this year in January union urban housing minister Hardeep Puri had said excessively rainfall in the month of December had caused delays in the construction of the Avenue.
A section of which was readied ahead of the 26 January Republic day Parade this year while the construction of the underpasses and the rest of the public facilities were to be completed later.
Responding to question in Rajya Sabha minister of state for housing and urban affairs Kaushal Kishore said all the projects are monitored by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Central Public Works Department regularly on weekly basis to “avoid delays and any inconvenience to general public.”
He informed The total amount spent and expected to be spent on various works under Central Vista Master Plan since commencement of the work include Rs 419.55 crore in FY 2021-22 while the expenditure for FY 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 1,423 crore and FY 2023-24 at Rs 2,285 crore.
The Vice-President’s enclave and the new Parliament House will be the first buildings to be completed, and work on shifting the National Museum to the North and South Block will commence last, in the elaborate plan for the Central Vista revamp that requires moving people and offices over the course of the next six years.
The North and South Block, which house the Union home, finance and defence ministries, apart from the PMO, will be the last to be vacated because these crucial departments will need to be set up in their newly built offices first.
The existing plots in the South Block, where the buildings are proposed to be built, will first be demolished, as per the plan.
The plots where the PMO and the Executive Enclave are proposed to be built are currently occupied by Defence establishment hutments that have been relocated to KG Marg and Africa Avenue in New Delhi.
Work on Prime Minister’s new residence will also go beyond the December 2022 completion target, The Indian Express reported on November 4, 2021. According to the CPWD timeline, the PM’s residence was scheduled to be completed by December 2022. But that is set to change as well.
Government of India
