Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Efforts On To Hold Winter Session In New Parliament Building

August 23, 2022
new Parliament building

The government is working on a war footing to ensure that the Winter Session of Parliament is held in the new Parliament building which is under construction as part of the redevelopment project of Central Vista.

Officials said that all-out efforts were being made to finish the remaining construction work of the new Parliament building so that the Winter Session could be held there.

The government wants to present the new Parliament building as a showpiece and while making it a modern structure with all the latest facilities, it is also wanting to give it a traditional look with art crafts from around the country being used to furnish the new building.

Reports suggested that besides handwoven cushioned carpets from Mirzapur, stones from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are being used in the new building. Teakwood furniture from Maharashtra is also being used and the work on the interiors and flooring was underway.

The new Parliament building will have a triangular shape and the government was wanting to hold the Winter Session there as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. The government earlier had plans to hold the monsoon session of Parliament in the new building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building, which is being constructed by Tata Projects Ltd., on December 10 last year. The project is estimated to cost Rs 971 crore and last month, he unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the building.

Earlier, the government had informed the Lok Sabha that 70 per cent of the physical progress of the new Parliament building project had been achieved and the targeted completion was kept at November 2022. There were no plans to extend the deadline considering the national importance of this project, officials said.

Reports said that some portions of the new Parliament building may be functional around November 26, which is also the Constitution Day. But a final decision was still to be taken on this.

Government has time and again maintained that the Winter Session of Parliament will be held in the new building being built under PM Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

The new Parliament building which will 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.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista also envisages a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, a new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.

Under the project, the government will also construct an Executive Enclave that will house a new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.

Girja Shankar Kaura

The writer is a Delhi-based freelance journalist, who has reported and written on a wide range of subjects in an extensive career.