Here’s How The New Parliament Building Will Look From Inside, Government Releases Photos

The new Parliament building is coming together this week, the last-minute preparations are going on full fledgedly. The Budget Session which is going to start on January 31 is expected to take place in the new building. The government has released renditions of how the revamped Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will look like.

Photos of the interiors of the triangular-shaped structure of the new Parliament have been published by The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry (MoHUA) which is responsible for the construction. MoHUA is responsible for the Central Vista project for redevelopment.

The splendid redevelopment project began in December 2020 with the foundation stone of the new Parliament building laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The aim of the project involved a three-km-long iconic Kartavya Path from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, a new Parliament building, and a joint central secretariat.

On the ministry’s dedicated website- centralvista.gov.in, the latest photos of the construction display workers giving the finishing touches to the Lok Sabha chamber on January 16. Besides that one can also see the art along the corridors and ongoing work in the courtyards.

Ministry officials disclosed that the new parliament building, a part of the Central Vista project will be ready by the end of January. The project was initially supposed to be finished by November 2022 but they missed the deadline. It is yet to be confirmed by the government if the Budget Session will begin in the new building or not. It is also likely that the second part of the session would be held in it.

The government said to ensure the smooth functioning of the Parliament, the new and the existing buildings will work together as an ensemble.

Tenders have been issued by The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) this week to get the new Parliament ready

It includes an Rs.9.29 crore tender for developing the plot for services on Raisina Road and Red Cross Road and an Rs.24.65 crore tender for mechanized housekeeping of the new building for 36 months.

In 2020, the project was awarded to Tata Projects for Rs.861.9 crore. However, according to sources, the cost has increased to at least Rs.1,200 crore. An official revealed that one of the reasons has been the increase in the GST on construction, which was revised from 12% to 18% in 2022.

The construction began in January 2021, with Tata Projects as the CPWD’s contractor

The building has been designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management, guided by architect Bimal Patel. It has been built right beside the existing Parliament House.

The new look of Lok Sabha

A new Lok Sabha hall will be larger, which will be based on the peacock theme- the national bird. The new Lok Sabha chamber will have a capacity of up to 888 seats. It will be three times bigger, and the strength of the House can increase with future delimitations. The Lok Sabha hall may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions.

The new look of the Rajya Sabha

A new and larger Rajya Sabha hall is based on the lotus theme, the national flower. It will have a capacity of up to 384 seats.

Constitutional hall

The design of the state-of-the-art Constitutional hall puts the Indian citizens at the heart of democracy.

Modern office spaces

The building will be equipped with the latest communication technology. The offices have been designed to be safe, and efficient.

The Central Lounge

To complement the open courtyard The Central Lounge is being constructed. The members are intended to interact at this place. The courtyard will have the national tree, the Banyan.

Audio-visual systems

The new building will have the latest and most sophisticated audio-visual systems. It will include large committee rooms and will house functional and purpose-designed spaces.

Renovated Sansad Bhavan

The new Sansad Bhavan seeks to contribute towards economic revitalization across the construction value chain. It is supposed to generate employment opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled, as well as unskilled workers. The new Platinum-rated green building of the new Sansad Bhavan is supposed to be energy-efficient.

The energy-efficient Parliament is a symbol of India’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

As per MoHUA’s Central Vista website, the new Parliament-

“will have extensive use of wooden structure…rooted in traditional motifs and elements…”

The new building’s floors would be furnished with,

“hand-knotted carpets from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh…”

The Library

The new Parliament building library strives to offer an exceptional experience and help the members gather information efficiently from archived material.

The new Parliament building aspires to reflect modern India’s spirit and diversity while also keeping the cultural and regional arts and crafts.

Accessibility to persons with disabilities

To ensure their free and independent movement, the new Parliament building will be easily accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Central Vista project sure has been a successful venture and is praiseworthy. The new Parliament building looks elegant and modern.