The construction work of the new Parliament building started on Friday, a day after ‘Makar Sankranti’, considered auspicious.
“Excavation work has started at the site where a sufficient number of labourers have been engaged to ensure that the project is completed on time”, officials said. The site of the construction is adjacent to the existing Parliament, which was completed in 1927.
The new building is being constructed by Tata Projects Ltd. The project is estimated to cost Rs 971 crore. Tata Projects Ltd. said despite the 35-day delay in the commencement of the construction work, it is confident that it will be able to deliver the project on or before time.
The project was scheduled to start in December last, but construction and demolition at the site was put on hold while legal challenges to the project were pending with the apex court. On December 7, the Supreme Court allowed the ground-breaking ceremony to take place after the government submitted an affidavit that it would not start construction, demolition and tree transplantation until the court gave its judgment. With the judgment clearing the project on January 5, the Central Public Works Department moved the HCC for approval, which was granted on Monday, according to HUA Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra.
The new Parliament building will have a triangular shape and is expected to be completed by the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022. The government plans to hold the monsoon session of Parliament in 2022 in the new building. PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10 last year.
Earlier this week, a 14-member heritage panel gave its approval to the new Parliament building while also giving the go-ahead to the Central Vista redevelopment project. The Supreme Court had asked the Centre to seek prior approval from the panel and other relevant authorities before starting the construction of the new building.
The construction work could not start earlier as the government had assured the Supreme Court that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decided the pending pleas on the issue.
