To give Lutyen’s Delhi a fresh look and make it an important tourist attraction in India, along with facilitating the central administration of the country with modern facilities, the Central Vista Redevelopment Project was announced. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed the project in September 2019.
Under this project, a new triangular-shaped Parliament building and a Common Central Secretariat will be built. With that, the three-kilometre-long Rajpath will be revamped, and the North and South Blocks will be converted into a museum. The estimated total cost of this redevelopment project is ₹20,000 crore and is expected to be completed by 2026.
Moreover, raw materials for the construction are sourced from different parts of India. The Sand Stone and Granite are obtained from Dholpur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The wood for wooden structures for the new Parliament Building is procured from Nagpur and is being designed by Mumbai’s craftsmen and artisans. Hand-knotted carpets are from the Carpet City- Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh.
Let’s know more about the Central Vista Project:
History and Evolution of Central Vista
After King George V announced the shift of India’s capital to Delhi from Calcutta (now Kolkata), the Delhi Town Planning Committee was set up in 1912. Its main objective was to plan, develop and design significant buildings in the capital.
Two British architects, Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens, took up the task of building the Central Vista Complex. It consisted of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, and the National Archives.
Together they designed the Parliament House Building. Besides, Lutyen designed the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Herbert designed the North and South Block. Before the inauguration of Delhi as the new capital in 1931, the construction of all these buildings was completed.
Need for Central Vista Project
- Fulfil the inadequate infrastructural demands that the current structure cannot do.
- To give a new structure to the buildings older than their structural lives inside the Central Vista.
- For smooth inter-departmental coordination between different offices of the Central Government that are spread across different locations in the NCT of Delhi.
Aim of Central Vista Project
This redevelopment project aims to redevelop Central Vista, which serves as the central area of the nation’s administration. With this revamp, India will get a place that will cater to the needs of the future, a work of architectural brilliance that will attract tourists and a place for smooth functioning of India’s central administration.
Guiding Principles of the Central Vista Project
The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is based on the following guiding principles:
- To restore the original symmetry of the Central Vista while respecting its heritage
- To strengthen the functioning of the legislature in India
- To improve the productivity and efficiency of the country’s administration
- To conserve and rejuvenate its culture and heritage
- To provide secure and adequate infrastructure for executive offices
- To ensure environmental stability, expand public space and extend Central Vista Axis
- To provide secure and proper facilities to the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India
- To promote transit-oriented development
Projects under Central Vista Project
- New Parliament Building
It includes constructing a new triangular-shaped parliament building next to the existing one. It will have a built-up area of approximately 65,000 square metres, ensuring better space utilization.
Other Features
- larger chambers for the legislature,
- Lok Sabha with a seating capacity of up to 888 persons and
- Rajya Sabha with a seating capacity of up to 384 persons
- Lok Sabha Hall with a seating capacity of up to 1272 persons for joint sessions
The estimated cost of this project is ₹862 crore. It is being constructed by Tata Projects and is expected to be completed by November this year.
- Central Vista Avenue
Under this project, the current Central Vista Avenue will undergo a refurbishment. Its area will increase from 3,50,000 square metres to approximately 3,90,000 square metres. It will also have modern facilities to ensure ease of access and improved security control during National Events.
Other Features
- Better amenities for people like low-level bridges
- Pedestrian-friendly underpasses for a smooth transition
- More Parking space
- Dedicated space for vendors
- Improved Public Amenities
The estimated cost of this project is ₹477 crore. It is currently undergoing and is being completed by Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
- Common Central Secretariat
Currently, 39 out of 51 ministries are housed in Central Vista, along with other department and subordinate offices. Under the Common Central Secretariat, 10 buildings will be constructed to house the offices of all 51 ministries.
It will help in improving coordination and collaboration between them. All of them collectively will have the capacity to hold 54,000 personnel. All this will be done by redeveloping existing buildings of Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, etc.
- National Museum, National Archives of India and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
The National Museum, National Archives of India and IGNCA are important structures that contain and preserve India’s rich history. Under this redevelopment project, two of them will be relocated to buildings with modern facilities and better infrastructure, and the other one will be restructured.
The National Museum will be relocated to the North and South Block, and IGNCA will be relocated to a plot in C-Hexagon opposite Hyderabad House. The National Archives of India will have a new purpose-designed facility built next to its current structure.
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