PMModi performed the rituals at the inauguration ceremony of the new parliament.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a groundbreaking ceremony in the heart of Delhi to mark the symbolic launch of the new parliament building as part of an ambitious Central Vista plan.
With the Sanskrit chants of six priests from Sringeri Mutt in Karnataka, the prime minister performed rituals around a sacred pyre arranged under a flower-covered canopy.
Around 200 dignitaries, including Union ministers, MPs, foreign envoys and religious leaders attended the function which was broadcast live on the Internet. Ratan Tata, whose Tata Projects has the contract for the new parliament building, was also present.
Construction cannot begin for now with the Supreme Court hearing petitions challenging the project on environmental grounds.
Last week, the Supreme Court had reprimanded the government, accusing it of “aggressively pushing” the project even before its decision on the petitions. “The first stone can be laid, the paperwork can be carried out, but without construction or demolition, without cutting down trees,” the court had said.
The new parliament building is the centerpiece of the ₹ 20,000 crore Central Vista project to renovate government buildings and make a 3km stretch between the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace and the iconic war memorial at India Gate.
The proposed four-story parliament building will cost nearly ₹ 1,000 crore and is expected to be completed in time for the country’s 75th Independence Day in August 2022. The building will accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha House with an option to increase to 1,224 members during joint sessions. The Rajya Sabha chamber will have a capacity of 384 members.
Each Member of Parliament will have 40 square meters of office space in the refurbished Shram Shakti Bhawan, which will be completed in 2024. The new building will also showcase the country’s glorious heritage, with contributions from artisans and sculptors from across the country.
The current Parliament Building, a circular monument built during British rule, will be turned into a museum. The spectacular building, with 144 sandstone columns, was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, who also designed the seat of power in Delhi.
The government says that with the depth, scope and complexity of legislative and parliamentary work increasing over the years, many members had expressed the need for modern, high-tech facilities that could not be installed in the existing building of 93 years.
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