New Parliament building to be ready by October 2022; Construction to begin this December

Officials also said that sufficient steps have been taken to control air and noise pollution during the construction work for the new parliament building

The original Constitution of India, handcrafted by artists of Shantiniketan, will go on public display in the Constitution Hall planned in the new Parliament Building, construction of which will begin in December.

The original handcrafted document, prepared under the guidance of Acharya Nandalal Bose and calligraphy text done by Prem Bihari Narain Raizada, currently is kept in a helium-filled case in the library building of the Parliament.

The Constitution Hall in the new Parliament building will also have digital displays showcasing the democratic heritage of the country which will be open for visitors.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reviewed the construction schedule of the new Parliament building and issued directions to constitute a committee for daily monitoring of the project.

“The construction of the new building will commence in December 2020 and is likely to be completed by October 2022,” a Lok Sabha Secretariat statement said.

The triangular complex is designed to include 120 offices with six separate entrances for members of the public, MPs, and VIPs, including the Speaker and the vice president.

The new Parliament will have larger chambers for the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha with the latter designed to accommodate 1,350 MPs during the joint sittings of both the Houses.

The seating arrangement for MPs would be on broad two-seater benches with access from either side. The same bench would accommodate a third person at the time of a joint sitting of both the Houses. The seats for MPs would be equipped with digital interfaces, which will be a step forward towards a paperless office, the Lok Sabha Secretariat statement said.

During the meeting, the Speaker was briefed about the progress made in the shifting of facilities and other infrastructure from the area proposed for the construction of the new building.

The barricading plan and the various mitigating measures to control the air and noise pollution during the construction process and the proposed movement plan of VIPs and staff during this period, including during the Parliament Sessions was also presented to the Speaker.

Construction of the existing Parliament House Building had begun in 1921 and commissioned in 1927. The building is already 93 years old and its facilities and amenities are considered “highly inadequate” to meet the current demand of Parliament.