Here's Why The Construction Of Central Vista & New Parliament Building Have Been Controversial

Thursday marked a historic day for India as the process to build a new central vista is now officially underway.

Though the foundation stone has been laid, the construction of the building cannot begin immediately as a petition challenging the construction is pending in the Supreme Court.

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The proposed four-storeyed new Parliament building would sprawl in an area of 64,500 square metres. Being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore it will have a seating capacity for 888 Members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during joint sessions.

Similarly, the Rajya Sabha chamber would have a seating capacity for 384 Members. India's glorious heritage too will find a place in the new Parliament building.

Atmanirbhar Bharat-inspired Parliament

The new Parliament building will be an intrinsic part of the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as artisans and sculptors from all over the country would contribute to and showcase India's cultural diversity in the new building.

BCCL

The new building is set to be readied by 2022 when India celebrates 75 years of independence.

While it is being touted as a major facelift of the power corridors of the national capital, it has been mired in controversies right from it was first announced.

On March 20, the first notification for it was issued and in April when the country was still under the COVID-19 lockdown and millions were left jobless and walking back home, the environment ministry¡¯s Expert Appraisal committee cleared the controversial project.

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Many had called it ill-timed and gross misuse of the country's resources amid the tough times.

The CPWD had defended the project saying that the existing Parliament Building was constructed 93 years ago and is in ¡®dire need of retrofitting¡¯¡¯ and that development of a new building is of utmost importance¡¯.

In the following months, the government received clearances from almost all concerned ministries, and in September the Tata Group won the contract to build a new parliament building at a cost of Rs 861.9 crore.

However, it has so far failed to clear the legal hurdle at the Supreme Court which is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the project on environmental grounds.

PTI

Earlier on December 7, expressing displeasure over the way the Centre is "aggressively" going ahead with the construction work of the Central Vista, the Supreme Court had allowed the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new Parliament building on December 10 but directed that no construction should take place.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, which were challenging the project related to the redevelopment of the Central Vista in the national capital and were even levelling certain allegations of violations in the project.

The top court issued the directions after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on instructions from the Centre, assured that there will be no construction activity of any nature on the concerned sites nor will demolition of any structure be done, including further translocation of trees will be kept in abeyance until the pronouncement of judgment in all these cases.

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CPI MP Binoy Viswam had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suspend the overall Central Vista project, and divert the fund to "more important and pressing issues that the country faces".

In a letter to the prime minster, Viswam said that carrying out such a project at a time the country faces "unprecedented challenges" such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a "crippling recession" and unemployment shows the "apathy and indifference" of the government towards its people.

Viswam said in the letter, "Lakhs of farmers from across the country have taken to the streets in protest against the new farm laws that seek to open up the sector to private players, much to the peril of farmers.

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"All of this in addition to a systematic privatisation of virtually every sector in the economy and the constant refrain from the government about a lack of funds, especially when it comes to paying States their due of GST. Amidst such peril, the allocation of Rs 20,000 crores for the Central Vista Project is completely unjustified and must be stopped," he said.