Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a new Parliament building on Thursday at Sansad Marg, New Delhi during an event that will be attended by various political leaders and ambassadors of different countries, as per reports.
The prime minister will also perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the building, which is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.
The revamp, which was announced last year, envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs. It will have an area of 64,500 square metres.
“The new building is an intrinsic part of the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and will be a landmark opportunity to build peoples’ Parliament for the first time after independence, one which will match the needs and aspirations of New India in the 75th anniversary of independence in 2022,” said a statement on PM Modi’s official website.
The event will begin at 12.55 pm and the foundation stone will be laid at 1 pm. PM Modi is expected to deliver his address at 2.15 pm.
The existing Parliament building, which is a British-era structure designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, will be conserved as it is an archaeological asset of the country, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said.
The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project. Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new Parliament building in September this year.
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, as per a media release.
