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What is Central Vista and why is it controversial?
It's an ambitious initiative by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre to reconstruct the Central Vista, a 3.2-kilometer stretch in the heart of Lutyens Delhi erected by the British in the 1930s.
involves demolishing and rebuilding several government buildings, including iconic landmarks, and constructing a new Parliament at a total cost of Rs 20,000 crore.
The bjp government launched a rehabilitation project in 2019 to give India's "power corridor" a new identity. The proposal calls for the construction of a new parliament, as well as mansions for the prime minister and vice president, as well as ten building blocks to house all government ministries and divisions.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is in charge of the project, which is expected to be finished by 2024.
central vista redevelopment project
According to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the present Parliament building, which was erected by the British, is approximately 93 years old and raises structural safety problems. It is "very pressured," and the level of facilities it provides has "significantly" worsened over time, according to the ministry.
The Prime Minister's House is expected to be relocated near the South Block, which houses the Prime Minister's Office, as part of the Central Vista Project (PMO). The new home of the vice president will be closer to the North Block. The "North" and "South" Blocks are called from their locations in the north and south of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, respectively.
The North and South Blocks will be turned into museums as part of the renovation proposal.
The new Parliament Building Complex, which will be triangular in shape, will spread over 64,500 square metre
The new Parliament building is described as the pivot of the Central Vista project design.
It is to be much bigger than the existing Parliament building and will be able to house 1,224 Members of Parliament.
The Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity of 888 MPs while the Rajya Sabha chamber will accommodate 384 MPs.
The enhanced capacity of the chambers was planned with potential growth in the number of MPs in mind.
The Lok Sabha currently has 545 members, while the Rajya Sabha has 245.
In the new structure, each MP will have their own office.
A majestic Constitution Hall will be featured in the new Parliament building, representing India's democratic legacy.
There will be a digitally displayed visitors' gallery depicting India's democratic past.
The current Parliament House building will be retrofitted to create more functional areas for legislative activities, allowing it to remain in use.
central vista delhi high court
The Delhi High Court declared on Monday that the Central Vista project is a "important project of national importance" where the sovereign powers of Parliament would be carried out, and that the public is "vitally engaged" in it.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to halt the reconstruction of Central Vista Avenue with immediate effect was dismissed by a panel of Justices DN Patel and Jyoti Singh.
"The construction of the Central Vista Redevelopment project cannot be considered in isolation," the bench said in dismissing the request. "The work must be finished within a time-bound plan." The panel ruled in its comprehensive decision that the petitioners had merely suggested that the time restriction be extended.
"Such reasons cannot be accepted by this Court, in light of the fact that construction work on this critical project or a project of national importance cannot be halted, particularly provided the requirements set by the DDMA's decision of April 19, 2021, are not flouted or breached," it stated.
"COVID-19 protocols are followed and COVID-19 acceptable behaviour is observed after the employees are staying at the site and all amenities have been given by the responder. As a result, there is no basis for this Court to halt the project while exercising its powers under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution "The bench took notice.
The plea, submitted by Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi, is a "motivated petition" and not a genuine PIL, according to the High Court.
"We believe this is a motivated petition filed by the petitioners rather than a genuine PIL. As a result, the plea is rejected, with costs of Rs 1 lakh to be paid by the petitioners to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority within four weeks "The bench remarked.
The Court has ruled on a petition seeking an injunction to halt/suspend all building activities on the Central Vista Avenue Redevelopment Project in accordance with instructions made by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) during the COVID pandemic's peak period.
The Central government's Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had objected to the request, stating that the current case is exclusively about Central Vista and not about other buildings.
Mehta had claimed that the public interest is "extremely selective" in this case, particularly when it comes to the Central Vista project. He stated that the petitioner seems unconcerned about other workers or building projects that are taking place roughly 2-3 kilometres distant.
"There's something weird going on here, and it's not what you'd expect from a prominent figure. This is a ruse used by PIL to hide something they've always wished to quit for one reason or another "He'd agreed to it.
The Concern Ministry of Union responded by calling the petition a "sheer misuse of the legal process and yet another attempt to block the project," and urging the High Court to reject it with exemplary costs on the grounds that it was an abuse of the legal process.
"Such attempts have been made since the project's start, under various pretexts and under various names. The following facts would persuade this Court that the petitioner attempted to block the project under the guise of 'public interest' while seeking sanctuary in the current scenario "In its affidavit, the Centre stated.
Senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, who represented the petitioner, displayed many DDMA rulings and proposed that Central Vista be renamed "Central Fortress of Death." He questioned whether the November 30 deadline is so sacred that all of Articles 19 and 21 should be discarded.
The Prime Minister will open the Central Vista Development project in December 2020. Rajpath, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, North Block, South Block, Shastri Bhavan, and Udyog Bhavan are among the 86 acres of property in Delhi that will be renovated as part of the project.
A new Parliament building, a shared secretariat for Central government offices, the Prime Minister's office and house, the Special Protection Group building, and the Vice-President Enclave are all part of the project.
The project has been under construction since January 5, 2021, following the dismissal of petitions contesting the project by the Supreme Court. (Source:)
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Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister, stated on Monday that a false narrative is being generated about the Central Vista redevelopment plan, insisting that it is not a "vanity project," but rather a need.
He further stated that no design for a new Prime Minister's House has been finalised, and that just two projects, the Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue, are now under construction at a cost of roughly Rs 1,300 crore.
The Union housing and urban affairs minister lashed out at the opposition, saying he has noticed a false narrative being constructed around the core project and that no historical property will be “touched.”
During a news conference, Puri stated, "This is not a vanity project, and this is a project of need."
The Central Vista project was permitted to continue building on Monday by the Delhi High Court, which described it as a "vital and necessary" national endeavour.
The case was dismissed by a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, who said it was "motivated" and "not a genuine PIL." The petitioners were fined Rs 1 lakh by the court.
A new Parliament building, a single central secretariat, a revamped 3-kilometer Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, a new Prime Minister's house and office, and a new Vice President Enclave are all part of the Central Vista makeover.
Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, slammed critics of the Central Vista project on Monday, referring to a group of 60 retired civil servants who wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year opposing the project as "padhe likhe murkh (educated fools)."
“These former bureaucrats, many of whom are from the foreign affairs ministry, have stated in their letter that, if reports are to be believed, the new Parliament building is being built because of superstitious beliefs that the old building is unlucky, yeh padhe likhe murkh hi nahin hain, they are a disgrace (they are not only educated fools, they are a disgrace”)” At a news conference, Puri said
Puri said that there are so many letters going around on social media that he had somehow missed this letter from the former officials.
“While preparing for the press presentation today, several of my officers brought it to my attention. The open letter was circulating on social media, but it never reached Puri, he claimed.
“Does it have anything to do with the pandemic?” Where did the number of Rs 20,000 crore originate from? The Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue, which are now under construction, have a total cost of roughly Rs 1,300 crores. Puri estimates that the Parliament building would cost Rs 862 crore and Central Vista Avenue would cost Rs 477 crore.
According to the minister, the Centre has set aside Rs 35,000 crore for the country's Covid immunisation campaign. “More will be allocated if necessary. He stated, "There is enough money."
The Central Vista revamp plan, which aims to completely transform Delhi's power corridor, will include the construction of a new triangular-shaped Parliament, a new Prime Minister's residence, and 10 new government office buildings, including Shastri Bhavan, Nirman Bhavan, Udyog Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, and Vayu Bhavan, among others.
The offices of many key ministries, including education, health, housing, agriculture, commerce, and the air force, are presently housed in these structures.
Puri stressed that no design for a new Prime Minister's home has been approved as of yet. “At this time, just two projects — the new Parliament building and the Central Vista avenue — are under construction. Puri stated, "We are working on these two projects as a priority because we want them done in time for India's 75th (Independence) anniversary in 2022."
In response to criticisms, the minister stated that the project will not be halted.
Puri stated that the decision to build the Parliament building was made in 2012, when Meira Kumar was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. “Her officer on special duty (OSD) wrote a letter to the former housing secretary, stating that a decision had been made to construct a new Parliament building,” he claimed.
“Not only that, but one of my political colleagues, Jairam Ramesh, wrote a piece in The Hindu newspaper in 2012 stating that a new Parliament Building is urgently required. This one is completely unusable and antiquated... Now he's fabricating a storey,” Puri said.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have appealed for the Central Vista project to be halted at a time when the Covid epidemic is ravaging the country. They claim that the proposal would not only be harmful to the city's ecology, but it would also demolish some of Lutyens' most significant structures.
Puri, on the other hand, stated on Monday that none of Central Vista's historic, cultural, or iconic structures, including the North and South Blocks, will be affected. He stated, "They will remain precisely the same."
Puri described the anti-new Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue rallies as "motivated," saying that a new Parliament building is needed since the current one is out of room and structurally unsafe.
“We are crammed in when we sit; there is no room. The structure was not designed to hold that many people... The number of members will grow in 2026 as a result of delimitation. In 2026, the present number freeze will be abolished. So, what are your plans? Will we have bunk sitting in the House of Commons?” Puri remarked.
It is not a "vanity" initiative, according to the minister, but rather a "essential" endeavour.
A petition opposing the Central Vista project was also dismissed by the Delhi High Court on Monday, describing it as "motivated."
Puri further stated that the current building project will not be halted. “Can you tell me what you want? We faced a difficult task ahead of us. We faced the first wave with tremendous fortitude. Should we now cease working in the second wave? Should the construction workers who are on the job there stop working? According to conventional opinion, you can spend your way out of a difficulty.
The minister went on to say that the government is taking all necessary precautions to safeguard the safety and health of the personnel on the job.
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