Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building in Delhi on 10 December 2020. He also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the building, which is expected to be completed by 2022.
The new building will have an area of 64,500 sq mtr. It will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
The Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members. Moreover, the Lok Sabha chamber can be further increased its sitting capacity to 1,224 members during joint sessions.
This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses. Presently, the Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members and Rajya Sabha 245.
In September 2020, Tata Projects secured the contract to construct the new Parliament building. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project. The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retrofitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.
The existing building is a circular edifice of 560 ft in diameter. The building has 12 gates. The Parliament House Estate is enclosed by red sandstone wall and iron grills with iron gates.
