CENTRAL VISTA REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Subject: Economy

Context: In a Supreme Court hearing, Senior Advocate argued about the discrepancies in the process of the Central Vista Redevelopment project.

Concept:

• The Central Vista is a 3 km stretch in the heart of New Delhi that runs from the RashtrapatiBhavan to India Gate. It is flanked by large green spaces and significant structures such as Parliament, the Secretariat buildings and the National Archives.
• The Central government is redeveloping the three-km-long Central Vista and Parliament. A common Central secretariat will be constructed for all ministries that are currently spread over many buildings across Delhi.
• The new Parliament has to be ready by March 2022 the 75th year of India’s Independence. The revamped Central Vista, complete with public amenities and parking, has to be ready by November 2021 and the new common Central secretariat by March 2024.
• The Parliament House and North and South Blocks will not be demolished, but their usage may change. The rest of the buildings that came up post-1947, including ShastriBhavan and KrishiBhavan, are likely to be demolished.

Need of project:

• The Parliament House and the North and South Blocks were built by the British between 1911 and 1931. Post-1947, the government of independent India added office buildings such as ShastriBhavan, KrishiBhavan and NirmanBhavan. These buildings do not have the facilities and space required today.
• While the British-built buildings are not earthquake-proof the buildings that came up after 1947 are prone to fires. The new buildings are expected to have a lifespan of 150 to 200 years. They would be energy-efficient and modern workspaces. The revamp would represent a ‘New India’.