After Parliament inauguration, focus shifts to VP Enclave, new PMO & Common Central Secretariat

With the new Parliament building inaugurated, the focus now shifts to the construction of the Vice President Enclave, Common Central Secretariat buildings, Defence Enclave, MPs' chambers, and prime minister's new residence and office.

The new parliament building is the second project that has been completed. The first was the redevelopment of Central Vista avenue stretching from Vijay Chowk to India Gate. The stretch which was earlier known as Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path.

The plan for the redevelopment of the Central Vista -- the nation's power corridor -- includes the new Parliament building that was inaugurated on Sunday. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has been executing projects under the redevelopment plan.

The tender to construct the new Parliament building was awarded to Tata Projects in September 2020 at an estimated cost of Rs 861 crore. Later, the cost rose marginally due to certain changes.

Infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro Limited is constructing the Executive Enclave housing the PMO, cabinet secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat at an estimated cost of Rs 1,189 crore. The company was awarded the tender in November last year and the project is slated to be completed in 24 months.

The Executive Enclave will come up on the south side of the South Block. India House will be used as a conference facility like the Hyderabad House where high-level talks, especially with top visiting leaders of various countries, are currently held.

Larsen & Toubro is also constructing the first three buildings of the Common Central Secretariat. It won the bid in October 2021 by quoting Rs 3,142 crore. The CPWD has set a deadline of two-and-half years for the completion of these buildings.

Under the Common Central Secretariat, the government plans to construct 10 buildings that will house ministries and other offices. According to the housing ministry, Rs 1,000 crore is annually spent on rent for various government offices and Common Central Secretariat will save the amount.

Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan and Rail Bhawan are among other buildings that are likely to be demolished to build the Common Central Secretariat.

Under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the North and South blocks, which symbolise the government authority since their inception in Lutyens' Delhi, will be converted into national museums. The North and South Blocks are likely to reflect the history of India and its struggle for Independence.

The government also plans to build MPs' chambers that will come up on the land where the Transport Bhawan and Shram Shakti Bhawan are located.

The government will also set up a large ''Defence Enclave'' to house the personnel and top brass of the defence establishment. The vice president's house and its nearby buildings will be demolished to pave the way for constructing the enclave.

The new building of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will be constructed beside the National Archives of India by June 2024. The Central Conference Centre is slated to be built by December 2026.