The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has told the Apex Court that the existing Parliament building was structurally not safe & was cramped & inadequate in many ways. It said that a new Parliament building, which will reflect indigenous technology, knowledge & expertise of India, was required to be built next to it.
The Constitution has frozen the number of seats in Parliament till 2026 but it may go up after the completion of the delimitation exercise, it said. A new building will be required to house a larger Parliament. The existing building can't be expanded to build additional seating for a larger Parliament & will also be required to be vacated for 18 to 24 months for an overhaul, it said.
There is no plan to destroy any existing heritage structure. These will be upgraded to last longer, it said. There is also no plan to alter the central vista.
The Central Public Works Department affidavit also alleged that the Govt didn't propose to spend `20,000 crores on the project at one go, but over 6 years. The affidavit claimed that to ensure smooth & unhindered functioning of Parliament, either an alternative building would have to be identified & suitably modified at considerable expense or a new building could be constructed.
Since the existing Parliament building cannot be expanded, it would be prudent to take up the construction of a new building, it said. The new Lok Sabha will be three times the existing one & the Rajya Sabha four times the existing size with the latest state-of-the-art technology & will save Rs 1000 crores per year by way of rentals.
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