Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, the North and South Blocks, India Gate, and the National Archives are just a few of the attractions on the 3.2-kilometer-long Central Vista Project in Delhi. All these structures were built before the new capital was inaugurated in 1931.
The government’s intention to build a new parliament building near the current one is called the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The Central Vista Re-development project aims to develop a 3-kilometer-long Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and to develop a Common Central Secretariat close to the existing, triangular-shaped Parliament building.
Central Vista Project Opening Date
The New Parliament Building of India was inaugurated on May 28. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Inaugurated the new Parliament house.
Earlier, it was expected that the mega-inauguration event would take place on May 26, the date on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath in 2014, but later it was held on May 28.
PM Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Yogi Adityanath, and other political leaders shared pictures of the New Parliament Building on social media:
List of Structures in Central Vista
There are several structures under the Central Viata Redevelopment Project that are being constructed, and some structures are being reconstructed and demolished. So here is the list of structures being constructed under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
- Kartavya Path
- New Parliament building
- Common Central Secretariat
- Executive Enclave
- The National Museum
- The National Archives of India
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
Central Vista Project Area
The parliament building is built on an area of 64,500 square metres; the new four-story building can house 1,224 MPs. The new Parliament building has three main gates, which have been named Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar. Also, the parliament building will have separate entrances for MPs, VIPs, and visitors. While the whole Central Vista Project is stretched over almost 3 kilometres.
Central Vista Project Cost
The Central Vista Project is anticipated to cost approximately Rs 20,000 crore, although the government says this is only a ballpark figure. Only two projects have been awarded and are in the process of being completion so far. The New Parliament Building, which had a tendered cost of 862 crores, is all set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
History of Central Vista
The Central Vista gets its roots from the British era. It was inaugurated in 1931 and comprised the buildings, namely Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North, and South Blocks, the National Archives, the India Gate, and the civic gardens on either side of the Rajpath.
In the year 1911, King George V moved the capital of colonial India to Delhi from Calcutta. Later in 1912, the Delhi Town Planning Committee was established with the objective of planning, creating, and designing the notable buildings of Delhi.
Two British architects, Herbett Baker and Edwin Lutyens, designed the Central Vista. Both Herbett and Edwin collaborated, and together they designed the structure of Parliament House. Not a lot of people know this, but it was Luytens who designed Rashtrapati Bhawan and Herbett who designed the North and South Blocks.
Central Vista Construction Companies
In October 2019, HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd., an Ahemdabad-based firm, won the architectural consulting work contract for the Central Vista Re-development Project. The Supreme Court of India approved the redevelopment of the Central Vista Project on January 5, 2021, and Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. won the construction work of Rajpath Redevelopment for Rs 477 crores.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the Indian Government Authority in charge of public sector works, gave the project of construction of the New Parliament Building to Tata Projects Ltd. for Rs. 862 crores.
Central Vista Project Facilities
As per the Central Vista Re-development Project, various new buildings will be constructed like the New Parliament of India, Kartavya Path (Rajpath), Central Conference Centre, Common Central Secretariat, New office and residence of Vice President of India, New Vanijya Bhawan, New Office and residence of Prime Minister of India, and some other new facilities for IGNCA.
Apart from these structures like Old Parliament House, North and South block, and Presidential gardens will be repurposed. Structures like Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, National War Memorial, Rail Bhawan, and Vayu Bhawan will be retained as it is.
Some structures like Vice President’s house, National Museum, Shastri Bhawan, Vigyan Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Vanijya Bhawan, Raksha Bhawan, Nehru Bhawan, Transport Bhawan, Sham Shakti Bhawan, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, and Annexe building of National Archives will be demolished.
The new Sansad Bhawan will be more spacious and a large number of people will be able to attend the ceremonies.
- The seating capacity of Lok Sabha has been increased to 888 seats from 543 seats.
- The seating capacity of Rajya Sabha has also been increased to 384 seats from 245 seats.
- The Central Hall of the new Parliament can now accommodate 1272 seats.
Central Vista Project progress
Now the re-development work of Rajpath has been completed and it has been renamed to Kartavya Path. The construction work of New Parliament building, Common Central Secretariat, and Executive Enclave is in progress.
Under Central Vista Re-development Project, The National Museum, The National Archives of India, and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts will be re-developed after the completion of ongoing projects. Important historical relics from India’s extensive past are housed in the National Museum, National Archives of India, and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
Since every item conserved in these locations is extremely significant, great care has been taken during the design of this transition to guarantee that the heritage status of the old structures is protected while new projects are erected around them.
Central Vista Myths vs Reality
| Myth | Reality |
| Rs. 20,000 crore is being spent on the Central Vista project. | Rs. 20,000 crore is a rough estimate of all the planned development and redevelopment works. |
| When the current Parliament Building could have been renovated, why is the new Parliament Building being built? | This Parliament building has undergone numerous ad hoc extensions and modifications over the years in an attempt to remain functioning and keep up with technology improvements, which has seriously harmed the building’s structure. |
| Damage to the environment is being caused by the Central Vista project. | The Central Vista project’s fundamental tenet is environmental sustainability. Overall green cover will rise as a result of the developments. No trees in Central Vista will be eliminated as part of any renovations. |
| Its architectural history is being destroyed as a result of the Central Vista Project. | India Gate, Parliament, North and South Blocks, National Archives, or any other will not be demolished. |
| The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is a significant drain on resources. | The Central Vista Redevelopment Project will not drain any resources but will provide employment to skilled workers. |
Central Vista Official Website
The government of India has a website for Central Vista, on which all the information regarding the ongoing Central Vista Project is included. Anyone can access the website at centralvista.gov.in. The website contains all the important information about Central Vista, its history, the progress of the development project, and all the other details.
Central Vista FAQs
A. The inauguration of New Parliament House will take place on May 28, 2023.
A. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the New Parliament House of India.
A. The Central Vista Project is anticipated to cost approximately Rs 20,000 crore, although the government says this is only a ballpark figure.
A. The New Parliament Building, which has a tendered cost of 862 crore.
A. Tata Ltd. got the tender for the construction of New Sansad Bhawan.