New Delhi: Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said that the cost estimate of the new Parliament building has been finalised at Rs 971 crore.
"The cost estimate of the new Parliament building has been finalised at Rs 971 crore and the work on this building has commenced," Puri said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The work for the new Parliament building began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on December 10. The building is expected to be completed when India celebrates its 75th anniversary of independence in 2022.
Puri, however, said that the buildings to be demolished and reconstructed along with expenditure and costs have not been finalised.
"In the current scenario, the project shall generate a large amount of direct and indirect employment which could be an important fulcrum for economic revival," he said.
Replying to a query asked by MP Rajamani Patel and Amee Yajnik on whether the government withdrew Delhi's candidature as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2015 in anticipation of the project, Puri ruled out such possibility.
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"There is no link between withdrawal of Delhi's candidature as a UNESCO world heritage site with central vista project as the withdrawal was done in the year 2015 and the central vista project was conceived in 2019," the minister said.
He further said that the total area of land for public use that has been notified to restricted government use to implement the central vista project is nil.
"The central government offices are permitted in public and semi public facilities (PSP) land use zones... These plots are mostly being used at present for government office purpose only," Puri said.
He further informed that there were 1292 representations received by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which broadly included objections with regard to grant of environmental clearance, change of land use, conservation of heritage, current economic scenario and Covid-19 health emergency.
"All representations and suggestions were duly considered," Puri informed.
