After facing severe criticism over the Central Vista redevelopment project, the Central Public Works Department has prohibited photography and video recording at the construction site near India Gate.
Signboards have come up at the redevelopment site of Central Vista Avenue (Rajpath), which read: 'No photography', 'No video recording'. The board put up also bans the entry of public near the project site.
The CPWD, a construction arm of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has refused to comment on the 'No Photography' boards.
The Opposition parties have been attacking the NDA government for the Central Vista Redevelopment project costing around Rs 23,000 crore and demanded that the project be stopped and instead pump the money to improve health infrastructure to aid the fight against Covid-19.
The redevelopment project involves building a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Prime Minister's residence and office, and a new Vice President Enclave.
Works of the new Parliament building and Central Vista avenue have already begun while the Centre is planning to slow down the execution of the remaining projects.
While environment activists are demanding an immediate halt of the project citing possible damage to green cover, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said there will be more green cover in the new design.
The minister also attacked the Congress party for criticising the government over the project, saying it was the Opposition party that had mooted the proposal to build a new Parliament building when it was in power at the Centre in 2012.
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