Suit-Boot Ki Sarkar: Why Is Our Govt Spending Over Rs 12,879 Crore To Revamp Central Vista?
At a time when India is faced with an unprecedented economic slowdown and all measures to curb inflation have apparently fallen flat even as job losses continue to mount, the ruling BJP government with PM Narendra Modi at the helm has kickstarted the Central Vista revamp programme, which is likely to cost at least Rs 12, 450 crores of tax payer¡¯s money.
At a time when India is faced with an unprecedented economic slowdown and all measures to curb inflation have apparently fallen flat even as job losses continue to mount, the ruling BJP government with PM Narendra Modi at the helm has kickstarted the Central Vista revamp programme, which is likely to cost at least Rs 12, 879 crores of tax payer¡¯s money.
This comes against the backdrop of the deeply stressed agrarian sector in which at least 10,000 farmers have been committing suicide on a yearly basis, thanks to the government¡¯s apathy and neglect to the issues gnawing at the existence of India¡¯s farming communities.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, a total of 10,349 farmers and agricultural labourers committed suicide in 2018, which was a very marginal dip from the 10,655 suicides in 2017. The home ministry data clearly showed that the agrarian sector needed immediate relief, and it comes with the ruling government having been in power for about six years.
Several members of the ruling dispensation have also relished in criticising education subsidies in the premier universities of the country and its repeated attempts to spike academic fees have sent tens of thousands of youngsters on the streets, who are calling for their rights and demanding that education remains affordable to all.
This government has also previously urged people to give up LPG subsidies and has been ruthless in implementing price hikes. From railways to petrol and every other commodity that the common man uses on a frequent basis, the BJP government has failed to keep them affordable.
Its efforts on the economic front have yielded zero results while a clueless Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was left red-faced when she blamed the attitude of millennials for the slump in the sales of automobiles.
So what should the priorities of a government be at this stage in the nation¡¯s history when its entire population is bearing the brunt of the regime¡¯s ill-thought policies?
Because the government is of the people, for the people and by the people in a democracy such as ours, it is binding upon it to implement the policies that benefit its larger population. Tens of crores of taxpayer¡¯s money have been spent in gala advertisements and in funding the exuberant foreign trips of the Prime Minister whereas they should have rather brought a sigh of relief to the ailing farmers of the agro-based economy that our¡¯s is.
But the ruling government cares the least and its latest assault is going to cost at least Rs 12,450 crore, the amount that could single-handedly prevent the 10,000+ suicides that may be recorded between this January and December given the previous records. It could help set up new schools and universities, hospitals and orphanages and much more.
Instead, the government is redeveloping the three-km-long Central Vista - the nation's power corridor - in the Lutyens' Delhi. It is constructing a common Central secretariat for all ministries. According to a report in The Hindu newspaper, this is likely to cost at least Rs 12,450 crores while an official was also quoted as saying that the actual figure might be much higher.
The redevelopment project of Central Vista envisages a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one, common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the 3-km-long Rajpath -- from Rashtrapati Bhavan till India Gate.
The common Central Secretariat will comprise eight buildings, four on each side of Central Vista. Each building will have eight floors, which will house various ministries.
There are currently around 25,000 to 32,000 employees working in various ministries situated in different locations in the Lutyens' Delhi. The common Central Secretariat is said to accommodate more employees at one place.
A Gujarat firm, HCP Design, is looking after the planning and designing aspect of it and has come up with the ridiculous, if not arbitrary, plan of demolishing at least 10 existing mega structures. The firm, which will be paid Rs 229.75 crore for consultancy services, is preparing the master plan for the project, including designs, cost estimation, landscape and traffic integration plans, and parking facilities among others.
According to the proposed plan, the IGNCA building and other nine buildings including Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Shashtri Bhawan and vice president¡¯s residence are likely to be demolished to pave the way for the construction of a common Central Secretariat to house various ministries.
Some of these are iconic structures, landmarks that have stood for years and has symbolized the glory of independent India. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), in particular, has been an avenue of cultural exchanges and hosts numerous events, exhibitions, book launches, classical dance programmes and similar events on a daily basis.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is likely to be shifted from its current location as part of Centre's ambitious project to redevelop Central Vista -- the nation's power corridor -- in Lutyens' Delhi: Sources
¡ª Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 15, 2020
IGNCA will be shifted as part of Central Vista revamp https://t.co/FaSVDJ6F2R pic.twitter.com/QiUCKWrtMS
¡ª Joburbans (@joburbans) January 15, 2020
IGNCA is likely to be shifted from its present location to Jamnagar House.
¡ª ???? ????/ Anant Vijay (@anantvijay) January 16, 2020
And #IGNCA to move ti. Hope its possible to build a world class performing arts center in it's new location. Delhi needs its version of the Kennedy or Lincoln center, esplande or sydney opera house! @HardeepSPuri
¡ª Sanjoy K Roy (@SanjoyRoyTWA) January 16, 2020
Apart from razing about a dozen ministry buildings including Shastri Bhawan, Rail Bhawan etc, Government also plans to demolish IGNCA to make way for the new buildings. Another 15 acres of land has been earmarked for moving the cultural center for arts around Jamnagar House.
¡ª Anisha Dutta (@A2D2_) January 16, 2020
There are important offices surrounding India gate area and @rashtrapatibhvn areas, any central vista plans have to be rationale and should be least expensive, public wealth
¡ª Shekhar (@shekharkummari) January 16, 2020
IGNCA to be demolished, relocated as part of Central Vista revamp - The Hindu https://t.co/AFe84PqHtk
New residence and office for PM at walking distance from each other, 10 new office buildings after demolishing existing buildings, including IGNCA, and a 'New India Gardens' near the Yamuna are a part of the government's Rajpath redevelopment. https://t.co/2dQn0Ix8sz
¡ª Damini Nath (@DaminiNath) January 16, 2020
IGNCA was the most beautiful thing at India Gate! A lathe portion of India Gate is already out of bounds because of that National War Memorial; This govt is eating up free spaces everywhere, physicial, virtual https://t.co/toYDw5oHyr
¡ª Sonia Sarkar (@sonia_26) January 16, 2020
According to news agency PTI, the IGNCA, established in the memory of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, is likely to be shifted near Jamnagar House, where around 15 acre land currently being used by hutments are likely to be removed.
Sources said that all cultural institutions will be relocated near Jamnagar House, adding that government has also planned to set up a state of the art National Centre for Performing Arts there.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has estimated that the redevelopment of Central Vista will cost around Rs 12,879 crore.
The new triangular Parliament building with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs is targeted to be constructed by August 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024.
Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had earlier approved the transfer of a record Rs 1.76 lakh crore dividend and surplus reserves to the government. India¡¯s economy is undergoing a turbulent phase and there are no signs of relief. Its GDP rate is slumping to 5 per cent while the common man is suffering due to the continued inflation.
The Modi government, which has failed in even controlling the continued spike in the price of onion for well over two-and-half months, has much more pressing aspects to look at rather than investing such a huge amount in redeveloping a region which is already recognised around the world as a great seat of power.
If at all it wished to do so, it should have been carried out with the profits that this government brings to India. Instead of adding, it has reduced India¡¯s economy to figures that are sometimes said to be at an all-time low. This plunder, naming, renaming and redeveloping must stop, and it must stop immediately.
