Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Saturday in a statement announced the date of the foundation stone ceremony of the new Parliament building on December 10. The Lok Sabha speaker said, “it has been decided that the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building will be held on 10th December at 1 pm. The ceremony will begin with ‘bhumi pujan’ by the Prime Minister.”
Lower House speaker Om Birla continued and said, “On the completion of the 75 years of India’s independence, we will begin the session of both the Houses in the new Parliament building.” Around five statues, including that of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhim Rao Ambedkar, in the Parliament complex are also likely to be relocated temporarily due to the construction work and they will be reinstalled at prominent places within the new complex once the project is completed. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project and it is expected to be completed in 21 months from the start of construction work.
According to the plan, the new Parliament building, which will have separate offices for all MPs, will be equipped with the latest digital interfaces as a step towards creating “paperless offices”. The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. According to the CPWD, the existing Parliament building will continue to function during the entire period of execution of the project. Once the new building is built, the existing Parliament building will be used for other purposes.
