Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10. The new building would be a four-story structure with a capacity for 1,224 seats and would cost Rs 970 crore. It would replace the existing colonial structure that would be completing hundred years in 2021.
The ceremony will begin at 12:55 pm, followed by Bhoomi poojan and the first stone will be laid at 1 pm. ‘Sarva Dharma Prarthana‘ (interreligious prayer) will take place at 1:30 pm.
The structure is expected to be completed in 2022, coinciding with 75 years of India’s independence.
The theme of the new building would celebrate the cultural diversity of the country. It would also incorporate regional arts and crafts. Craftsmen and sculptures from across India would be employed to complete the new structure, making it a symbol of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-sufficient India).
On the periphery of the new building, blocks will be placed for the reception, information desk and public waiting area. It will be accessible to people with different abilities. In addition to the main entrance, the triangular structure will have a ceremonial entrance and an exclusive entrance for the Speaker of Lok Sabha and President of Rajya Sabha.
The structure would be constructed in around 64,500 m2 area. The building will have space to house 888 MPs in Lok Sabha and 384 in Rajya Sabha. The existing building accommodates 543 people in Lok Sabha and 245 in Rajya Sabha. The expansion has been carried out, taking into account the delimitation exercise planned for 2026.
The building will not have the iconic Central Hall present in the existing structure.
Up to 2000 people would be directly and 9000 indirectly involved in the construction of the building.
The new building will also have a large Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a hall for Members of Parliament, a library, multiple commission rooms, dining rooms, and ample parking space.
In September this year, Tata Projects Limited won the tender to build the new parliament building at the cost of Rs 861.90 crore. The new building will be built close to the existing one as part of the Central Vista remodelling project.
The current Parliament House building will be appropriately modernized to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events to ensure its use in conjunction with the new building.
The existing building is a British-era building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, who were responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi.
The present House of Parliament foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921, and the construction took six years and cost Rs 83 lakh at the time. The opening ceremony was held on January 18, 1927, by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin.
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