Old Parliament 'unsafe'; new building, Central Vista Avenue to be completed on time: Puri
New Delhi, Oct 9: Noting that the existing Parliament building is "unsafe", Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday asserted that construction of the new one and redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue, stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, will be completed in a time-bound manner.
Both these projects are being executed as part of the Modi government's ambitious Central Vista redevelopment plan.
Stressing upon the need of a new Parliament building, the Union housing and urban affairs minister said that the current one is "unsafe" as when it was constructed, it was in Seismic Zone II but now that area lies in Seismic Zone IV.
During an interaction at the 'India Today Conclave 2021', Puri said that the existing building, which doesn't have the capacity to accommodate more parliamentarians, was never designed to be Parliament and it was a council house of a colonial power.
"The number of members (parliamentarians) has been increasing since we became an Independent country. So, there have been a lot of internal adjustments and new facilities have been added...from a purely structural point of view, it is an unsafe building.
"When the building was constructed, it was in Seismic Zone II and today, that area is in Seismic Zone IV. It is not an exaggeration. We don't want to create panic, but you know you are above pushing the limit..." he said.
The redevelopment of the Central Vista envisages a new Parliament building, a Common Central secretariat, revamping of the three-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, a new Prime Minister's residence and office, and a new Vice President's Enclave.
Tata Projects Limited has been constructing a new Parliament building near the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
The government said that the Winter Session of Parliament in December next year will be held in the new building.
Shapoorji Pallonji and Co Pvt Ltd has been executing the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The government plans to hold the Republic Day parade on the revamped Rajpath next year.
"These two segments are actually the showcase segment (of the Central Vista redevelopment project)," he said, adding that these projects will be completed within the time period.
The minister said that the new Parliament building will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 800 crore, while the Central Vista Avenue redevelopment work will be completed at around Rs 400 crore.
Besides, the government had floated tenders for the construction of three new buildings of Common Central Secretariat on the plot where the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is currently located
Last month, four infrastructure firms, Tata Projects Limited, Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd, L&T Construction and NCC Ltd, had submitted technical bids for the project.
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Dakshina Kannada district administration gears up for monsoon season
Mangaluru (PTI): The Dakshina Kannada district administration has got down to work ahead of the monsoon season (June to August) by beginning preparations to tackle various rain-related issues.
At a meeting held on Tuesday, the district authorities, Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP reached out to the ground-level bureaucracy with directions on how to handle the challenges during the monsoon season.
Addressing the drinking water and disaster management authority officials, he highlighted the problems faced due to poor maintenance of the electrical system under Mangaluru Electric Supply Company (MESCOM) and said it was not just failure of power supply during rains but also snapping of live cables and falling electric poles which were a concern.
Since this would cause serious damage to life and property, he urged MESCOM to take precautions by carrying out inspections.
Muhilan also directed MESCOM to deploy additional men and open more control rooms across the district during the monsoon season and said both urban and rural areas must be given equal importance.
Muhilan said in the run-up to the monsoons, the existing domestic water availability should be managed prudently.
At the meeting, emphasis was laid on cleaning of dumping yards and garbage disposal areas before the monsoon.
The health department was asked to take precautionary measures against the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue and malaria during the rainy season.
He said that the National Highway should list areas where landslides occur in Charmadi Ghat areas and information should be made available to people about traffic related issues in ghat areas.
The district Deputy Commissioner instructed the Fisheries Department to hold a meeting on precautionary measures for fishermen during the rainy season.
