New Delhi: Spread over 9.5 acres, the new Parliament building was completed within a short span of 29 months despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the supply chain disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
While inaugurating the four-storeyed building Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the contribution of the people, including the thousands of shramjeevis (workers), who played a vital role in its construction, which had begun in January 2021.
Though the building was to be ready before the winter session of the Parliament last year, officials said the project saw several on-ground challenges, such as encountering a rocky surface while excavating the foundation and carrying out work without disrupting the functioning of the existing Parliament house.
“The space available for construction activity was limited, so we had to plan digging and other activities carefully,” a senior housing and urban affairs ministry official, who wished to not be named, told ThePrint. “The biggest challenge was to complete the work in a short span of time without disturbing the functioning of the Parliament House.”
ThePrint looks at some of the men and women, from an army of over 5,000 workers, who worked day and night to complete the project.
Also read: ‘Sengol’, havan, prayer & remembering Gandhi — how Modi govt marked inauguration of new Parliament
Bimal Patel, project consultant
File photo of Bimal Patel | Photo: Bimal Patel’s office
He is the architect of the new Parliament building and Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project. His firm, HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd was selected as the consultant for the Rs 13,500-crore redevelopment project in 2019.
The 61-year-old is a renowned urban designer and planner and has several projects of note — including the Kashi Vishwanath corridor and Sabarmati riverfront redevelopment — to his name.
Since 2019, the Ahmedabad-based architect has been working closely with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to design a Parliament building that allows for more space and state-of-the-art technology for smooth functioning of both Houses.
Manoj Joshi, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
File photo of Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs | Photo: Twitter, @Secretary_MoHUA
A 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala Cadre, Joshi has been spearheading the Central Vista redevelopment project, which includes the construction of the new Parliament building, for the past two years.
Though the construction for the ongoing project had started before he joined as secretary in December 2021, Joshi now has the difficult task to deliver on tight deadlines despite supply chain disruptions and local challenges.
DS Mishra, former secretary, MoHUA
D.S. Mishra, former secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
A 1984-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and currently the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Mishra was instrumental in planning and starting the work for the redevelopment project.
The construction work for the new Parliament building and the Central Vista Avenue, which was inaugurated by the PM in September last year, had started during Mishra’s tenure as secretary of MoHUA.
D. Thara, additional secretary, MoHUA
A 1995-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, she has been heading the Central Vista project since 2019 when she joined the ministry as joint secretary. From design to addressing on-ground challenges, especially during the pandemic, she has been involved in all aspects of the projects.
She is also heading the central government’s flagship Atal Mission for rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which was launched in 2015.
Ashwani Mittal, Executive Engineer, Central Public Works Department
Mittal was involved in the day-to-day issues related to the new Parliament building project during its execution.
For the 58-year-old CPWD engineer, though, this is the second Parliament project. Mittal was part of the CPWD team of engineers and architects involved in the construction of Afghanistan’s Parliament. The Afghan parliament building in Kabul was built by India and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with then Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani in December 2015.
Over 5,000 ‘shramjeevi’
In his maiden speech in the new Lok Sabha chamber, the PM acknowledged the contribution of shramjeevis in the construction of the Parliament building.
During his surprise visits to the construction site, the PM has always met the construction workers. It was during his visit to the construction site in September 2021 that the PM had asked officials to set up a “digital archive for all construction workers engaged at the site” to recognise their contribution.
TATA Projects: In September 2020, TATA Projects was awarded the work for the construction of the new Parliament building for Rs 971 crore. Apart from the tight deadline and design challenges, the company had to ensure that work didn’t suffer due to the second wave of Covid.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: New Parliament building a symbol of ‘self-reliant India’, says PM Modi in inauguration speech