PM Modi Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony For New Parliament: 10 Points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, on December 10, performed ground-breaking ceremony of the new parliament building on the Central Vista. The grand ceremony was attended by over 200 dignitaries, including Union Ministers, Ministers of State, MPs, foreign envoys and religious leaders.

Ratan Tata, whose Tata Projects is a part of the building plan, was also present during the ceremony.

1. Six priests from the Sringeri Mutt in Karnataka performed the ceremony to mark the launch of the new parliament building.

2. The actual construction will not start immediately, as a petition challenging the project is pending in Supreme Court. The centre has assured the Court that it would not carry out any construction, demolition or felling of trees in the Central Vista area for now.
3. The new parliament building is part of the ₹ 20,000-crore Central Vista project, which aims to rebuild the government buildings on part of the 3 km Rajpath stretching from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate.
4. The proposed four-storied building would spread over an area of 64,500 sq meters and cost about ₹ 971 crore. The construction is expected to be completed by the country's 75th Independence Day in August 2022.
5. The proposed building will have seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha Chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 Members during Joint Sessions.
6. The new building will also showcase the country's glorious heritage, with contributions from artisans and sculptors from across the country.

7. The government says with the depth and complexity of legislative and parliamentary work increasing over years, several members had expressed the need for modern facilities that could not be installed in the existing 93-year-old building.

8. Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala criticized PM Modi and said, "History will also record that when the farmers are fighting for the rights for 16 days on the streets, then you were building a palace for yourself in the name of Central Vista."
   
9. According to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the new building is an intrinsic part of the vision of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'' and will be a landmark opportunity to build peoples' Parliament for the first time after independence, one which will match the needs and aspirations of ''New India''.
10. Last week, the Supreme Court had pulled up the centre, blaming it for "pushing forward aggressively" with the project when the decision in the matter is pending. "You can lay the foundation stone, you can carry on paperwork but no construction or demolition, no cutting down any trees," the top court had said.

Also Read: Central Vista Project: Supreme Court Slams Centre For Going Ahead 'Aggressively' With Construction