Central Vista Avenue project achieved 60% physical progress: Centre tells Lok Sabha

Redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue, stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and has a deadline of December 2021, has achieved 60 per cent of physical progress, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The government, however, has planned to hold the 2022 Republic Day parade on the newly-developed Rajpath that comes under the Central Vista Avenue Redevelopment Project.

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In a written reply to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore said the new Parliament building project, which is scheduled to be completed by October 2022, has achieved 35 per cent of physical progress.

At the inaugural ceremony of two office complexes for the employees of the Defence Ministry and the armed forces here on September 16, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said the Winter Session of Parliament next year would take place in the new Parliament building.

Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the event, he had said, "I would like to assure you that the redevelopment work of Central Vista Avenue will be completed in two-and-a-half months, where the Republic Day parade will be held."

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the nation's power corridor -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the three-kilometre-long Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, a new prime minister's residence and prime minister's office, and a new Vice President's enclave.

In his written reply to Tewari, Kishore said Rs 1,289 crore has been allocated for the development/redevelopment works of Central Vista in the ongoing financial year.

The minister said these works have provided direct livelihood opportunities to more than 10,000 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers on site and off site and generated more than 24.12 lakh man days of employment.

In addition, substantial employment in manufacturing and transportation of cement, steel and other building materials have been provided, Kishore said, adding these works will also contribute to the economy and help realize our resolve for "Aatmanirbhar Bharat".

He also said that there is no link between works pertaining to Central Vista and Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).

"Separately, the Union cabinet, in its meeting on November 10, has restored MPLADS for the remaining part of the Financial Year 2021-22 and its continuation from FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 17,417 crore," he said.