JOIN USAll you need to know about the new Parliament
With all eyes set on the state-of-the-art Parliament Building which is up for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, here is a brief roundup of everything you need to know about the brand-new structure.
The construction of the old Parliament building was completed in 1927. The building, which is almost 100 years old, has started showing signs of distress and over-utilisation and is not able to meet the current requirements in terms of space, amenities and technology. Realising the need for a new building for the Parliament, the resolution for a new Parliament building was passed and the foundation stone of the new building was laid by PM Narendra Modi on December 10, 2020.
Key features
- The Parliament Building, constructed by Tata Projects Ltd, will have a built-up area of about 65,000 square metres and has generated employment for around 23,04,095 people, as per the official Central Vista website.
- The new and existing Parliament building will work together as an ensemble which will facilitate the smooth and efficient functioning of operations of the Parliament.
- The new building will house larger Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls. Lok Sabha Hall has a capacity of up to 888 seats, while the Rajya Sabha Hall has a seating capacity of up to 384. The Lok Sabha Hall may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions. Its triangular shape ensures optimum space utilization.
- The building has three main gates -- Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar. It will also have separate entrances for VIPs, MPs, and visitors.
- The structure will be differently-abled-friendly.
- The total construction cost estimated stands at Rs 970 crore.
- The Lok Sabha is designed based on the Peacock theme, the National Bird. And the Rajya Sabha Hall is based on the Lotus theme, the National Flower.
- Along with essential facilities like committee rooms, major offices of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Lok Sabha Secretariat and Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the building will also include publicly accessible museum-grade galleries and exhibits.
- The Constitutional hall symbolically and physically puts the Indian citizens at the heart of our democracy.
- The building will have offices that are designed to be secure, efficient and equipped with the latest communications technology.
- Furniture in the debating halls will include smart displays and biometrics for ease of voting with an intuitive and graphical interface.
- The building will also have digital language interpretation and recording infrastructure to produce real-time metadata and programmable microphones.
- The Committee rooms will be equipped with the latest audio-visual systems. It will house functional, purpose-designed spaces to facilitate and deliver higher efficiency.
- New Sansad Bhavan will contribute towards economic revitalisation across the entire construction value chain and generate employment opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
- The Parliament building library will efficiently serve the members by gathering information from archived material.
- A platinum-rated green building, the new Sansad Bhavan will be a symbol of India’s commitment towards environmental sustainability.
- The building will reflect the vibrance and diversity of modern India, incorporating our cultural and regional arts and crafts.
- The central lounge is being created to complement the open courtyard. It is intended to be a place for members to interact. The courtyard will have the national tree, the Banyan tree.
- There are 92 rooms for the use of the Council of Ministers, and six Committee rooms, the present structure has three.
- The building features rainwater harvesting and water recycling systems. Provision of 100 per cent UPS power backup will also be made throughout the building.
- The Parliament building's design takes reference from the present Parliament building and other historical buildings of Central Vista.
- It also reflects the classical, folk and tribal arts and crafts of India.
- The National Emblem crowns the new Parliament building.
- A historic golden 'Sengol' or sceptre, received by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British, will also be installed in the new Parliament building with the Narendra Modi government projecting it as something that connects Indian tradition with modernity.
Row over inauguration
Several parties have come forward questioning the inauguration of the structure by the PM and not the President. With the initial hubbub snowballing into a full-fledged boycott by political parties, the controversies leading up to the inauguration have also flared up.
Twenty-five parties are expected to be present for the event including 18 from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and seven non-NDA parties.
Opposition parties issued a joint statement saying they would not attend since President Murmu has not been invited to the inauguration, but AIMIM went with a separate reason for their choice of boycott saying they'd have been present if Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the new building, clarifying that the President too is part of the executive. Around 20 opposition parties have decided to boycott the event.
The ceremony to inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday will begin with an early morning havan and a multi-religion prayer followed by a formal opening in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister Modi.