New parliament building will be a monumental work of skill, speed, scale: Govt official

New Delhi, Sep 28: With thousands of labourers deployed at raising the new parliament building, a top government official said on Tuesday the complex will be a "monumental work in skill, speed and scale" and will be an ode to "Aatmanirbhar India" as its every component, from architecture to construction material, has been sourced indigenously.

Briefing reporters, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra said the new parliament building will meet its deadline of October 2022 and claimed that it will be a work of "marvel" as there will be few precedence of such a gigantic exercise being completed in such a short span of time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the project in December 2020.

With critics wondering if the new building will match up to old one in its grandeur, Mishra said it will look like "twin sister" of the current one with its mosaic of red and yellow stones while being much ahead in terms of its occupancy, use of modern technologies and amenities.

Noting that the current parliament building was meant to be a "meeting hall" and retrofitted later and had two floors added, which resulted in lack of sunlight and cramped spaces, he said the new building will be inviting and look like a "people's parliament".

It will be truly a people's parliament and an ode to Modi's call for "Aatmanirbhar Bharat", he said, adding that the new legislature will be realisation of the prime minister's vision as he has been keenly involved in the entire exercise from the beginning.

Highlighting the hectic pace of work, Mishra said over 4,800 workers are deployed at the site and 1,200 at different places, adding that so far six lakh man days have been created.

He said work has been going on in over 20 places across the country, ranging from those related to furniture, stones and electricals to technological features, regarding the new building.

Over 1.65 lakh cubic metre of soil was removed in 45 days, he said highlighting the scale of the work.

"It was disposed in a clinical manner that few would have noticed," he added.

So far, Mishra said, 1,13,625 cubic metre of concrete will be used at work and 72,000 cubic metre of it has been done so far.

With extensive use of corrosion-free steel and other modern construction features, the building's planned life currently is 200 years, he said.

He said new parliament building will meet construction requirement in seismic zone-5, which covers the regions most vulnerable to earthquakes even though the national capital falls in the zone-4, and will qualify for the top green rating of five-star platinum.

He also allayed apprehensions about the loss of trees due to the construction of the new building, saying no trees were cut but 404 of them were transplanted and 80 per cent of them have survived.

In their place, 4,400 saplings have been planted, he told reporters.

Mishra claimed the new buildings will have state-of-the-art technological features, making it secure against any security threats, including those emanating from cyberware.

"The new parliament building will be a monumental work of skill, speed and scale," he said.

With work going on round the clock, the new building will meet its October 2022 deadline, he asserted. The winter session next year will be held in the new building, he added. PTI KR ZMN ZMN