New Delhi: The new Parliament building is likely to be inaugurated 28 May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a government source familiar with the development. This will coincide with the ninth anniversary of the BJP-led NDA government.
However, the building will become operational only in July, when the monsoon session of Parliament begins.
The new Parliament building, which is triangular with a built-up area of 65,000 square metres, will have the capacity to seat more Members of Parliament (MP) and officials. The Lok Sabha Hall will have a capacity of up to 888 seats, while the Rajya Sabha Hall will be able to accommodate up to 384 people. Further, the Lok Sabha Hall will be equipped to accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions.
The new building is located in front of the existing Parliament — which was built in 1931. Once it is operational, the old premises — an iconic landmark of the capital — will be converted into a museum.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the new building in December 2020, while the construction commenced in early 2021.
Among the reasons for developing the new building is that the existing Parliament structure had narrow seating space for MPs, limited seats during joint sessions, inadequate workspace for employees, and structural safety concerns, among others.
Apart from the spacious seating plan, the new structure also houses a state-of-the-art constitutional hall, modern office spaces, and sophisticated broadcast systems, among other features.
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Central Vista redevelopment
The new Parliament building is part of the Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project, which includes building a common central secretariat, a new residence and office for the Prime Minister, and a new Vice-President Enclave.
The Central Vista Avenue — the revamped three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, which was renamed Kartavya Path from Rajpath — was inaugurated in September last year.
As part of the Central Vista revamp, all government offices based in the Transport Bhavan and Shram Shakti Bhavan were previously asked to shift to a new location, on KG Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi. The two buildings — which house offices of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Tourism Ministry, among others — will be demolished for the construction of MP chambers.
According to an official at the Central Public Works Department, the offices are still in the process of moving.
Previously, the Modi government had set November 2022 as the deadline for completing the new Parliament building, with plans for holding the winter session there.
(Edited by Sunanda Rajan)
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