JOIN USCentre may delay Central Vista project amid criticism
The Modi government may go slow over the implementation of the Central Vista redevelopment project, which has come under intense criticism for spending a huge amount of money at a time when the country was battling a raging Covid-19 pandemic.
Barring two ongoing projects, New Parliament Building and Central Vista Avenue (Rajpath), the Centre may slow down the execution of remaining projects in the Central Vista Redevelopment Scheme, sources in the government said.
The Central Vista redevelopment project involved building a new Parliament building, re-modeling of Central Vista Avenue (Rajpath), building new residences for the vice president and the prime minister, inter-connected common secretariat comprising 10 new buildings and demolishing some buildings on either side of the Rajpath.
“Since work on the Parliament building (cost Rs 862 crore), and the Central Vista Avenue (cost Rs 477 crore) is going on, there is no meaning in stopping it midway. However, the other projects can be taken up once the pandemic is over,” said an official in the Urban Affairs Ministry.
The officials said the Urban Affairs Ministry has secured the environment clearances for building new residences for the vice president and the prime minister, but the bidding process had not yet begun.
“The ministry is yet to decide on calling for tenders for these buildings,” the official said, adding that the green clearances were applied for when there was no sign of the second wave.
As per the original plan, the residential buildings were to be completed by end of 2022, but now the government is thinking of delaying these two projects.
The work on the new prime minister’s residence and the SPG buildings can begin only after some offices on Dalhousie Road are shifted to new buildings on Africa Avenue and Kasturba Gandhi Marg. “These two buildings are not yet ready,” the official said.
Besides, the government is yet to finalise on which buildings would be razed to build the common secretariat complex that would come up on either side of the Rajpath, the official said.
The Centre had planned to complete the entire Central Vista project, entailing an expenditure of Rs 23,000 crore by 2024, but the deadline had already been extended to 2026.
Due to the impact of the second wave of Covid-19, the government is now expected to further delay the project, said the official.