New Parliament building to showcase democratic heritage of India

 

Raman Pandit

The planned new Parliament of India will not be just another building but it will showcase democratic heritage of India.
The building besides Chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, will have a grand Constitution Hall which will house, among other things, the original copy of the Constitution, digital displays for showcasing India’s democratic heritage. The visitors will be given access to this Hall to help them to appreciate and understand India’s journey as a parliamentary democracy. 

The ground plus two-storey triangular-shaped building with a built-up area of approximately 60,000 metre square, is set to come up on plot number 118 of the Parliament House Estate, which currently houses a reception, boundary walls and other temporary structures. The current Parliament building, which is over 90 years old, will continue to house the famed Parliament library and function in tandem with the new Parliament. Unlike the current Parliament, however, the Lok Sabha in the new one could be used for joint sessions. With a regular seating capacity of 900, divided into 450 pairs of seating units, it has been designed to accommodate 1,350 MP for joint sessions. Designed in the line of Egyptian Parliament, the Lok Sabha hall will provide 50 per cent more space to each MP. The current Lok Sabha hall can only accommodate 552 MPs.   

 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla chaired a review meeting this regard. During the meeting, Birla was briefed about the progress made in the shifting of facilities and other infrastructure from the area proposed for the construction of the new building.  The barricading plan and the various mitigating measures to control the air and noise pollution during the construction process were elaborated. The officers of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs further briefed Birla about the proposed movement plan of VIPs and staff during this period, including during the Parliament Sessions. The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building, the officers mentioned. 

Reviewing the various aspects and progress of the project, Birla stressed on the smooth coordination and resolving issues between various agencies involved on a regular basis. He emphasized that there should be no compromise in ensuring quality-control and timely completion of the work. During the meeting, a decision has been taken regarding the formation of monitoring committee to oversee the day-to-day execution of the construction work of the new Building. The Committee will include, among others, officers of Lok Sabha Secretariat, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, CPWD, NDMC and architect/designer of the project. The new Building will have separate offices for Members of Parliament. Among other facilities for the Members, each seat for them in the Chambers will be comfortable (with blocks of two seats) and equipped with digital interfaces, which will be a step forward towards a paperless office. The new Building will also have a MP’s Lounge, a Library, six Committee rooms, dining areas and parking space. 

The construction of the new Building will commence in December 2020 and is likely to be completed by October 2022.