Construction for new Parliament building to begin in December and to be completed by Oct 2022
Parliament building is set to change and the construction of the new government legislative building is set to begin in December this year.
The new building where all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions will be held is likely to be completed in the next two years (by October 2022).
With increased space for members of the two Indian houses- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as the construction work begins, the winter sessions of Parliament will continue to take place in the existing building and will remain uninterrupted.
It is to note that the construction of the new Parliament building will start at a time when the Delhi government has advised to keep the construction work in the National Capital to the minimum owing to the increasing pollution levels. However, according to the report, officials looking over the work have notified that sufficient steps are being taken that will ensure that air and noise pollution is controlled during the construction work.
Citing Lok Sabha Secretariat, the report said that the new parliament building will be made in such a way that all members of Parliament (MPs) will have their own offices and these offices will have the latest digital interfaces in order to create 'paperless offices'.
The new building will boast of a Constitution Hall that will display India's democratic heritage, the report said. Other features the Parliament House will get includes a new lounge for all MPs, multiple committee rooms, a library, dining areas as well as ample parking space.
The space for members and their seating arrangements is also being increased. Currently, the Parliament has seats for 543 Lok Sabha members and 245 Rajya Sabha members. However, the new building can host 888 Lok Sabha members and the seats for Rajya Sabha have also been ramped up to 384 seats. The report highlighted that the changes are being made keeping in view that the strength of the upper house and the lower house may increase in the future.
The building, whose work is being monitored by Lok Sabha Secretariat, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, NDMC, and CPWD, is likely to have its ground-breaking ceremony by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December.
To be sure, the new Parliament building is likely to be triangular in structure. Once the restructuring starts, the prime minister's house and office may also shift near the South Block whereas the vice-president will get a new house in the vicinity of the North Block
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