With the Supreme Court giving its nod to Bhoomipoojan for the new Parliament Building on December 10, the last word on the Central Vista project is still pending with the court. The Centre cannot proceed aggressively with the construction until the court takes a final view on the petitions filed before it by environmentalists and others. It is safe to assume that the court will not delay the matter for too long.
With nod for a constituency delimitation process also pending for long, it is for the Centre to have this done at the earliest so that justice could be done in terms of people’s representation; meaning the states with a larger population bulge over the years would require to have more members in the Lok Sabha. States where population has dwindled over the years might not necessarily lose the existing strength. This would mean the Lok Sabha requiring an additional seating capacity of about 300. The Centre has referred to this requirement while the case came up for hearing; and that 888 seats have been planned out for the lower house in the proposed building against the present LS strength of 543. Similarly, with Rajya Sabha too.
Having come this far, the Modi government is bound to persist with the completion of the project in two years’ time, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. Erecting a new parliament house would also mean the BJP planning this out in a manner that befits its ideological concerns and political agenda. For instance, if a Congress government does this instead, it will prominently have the stamp of the Nehru family legacy. The BJP government can be trusted to downplay this. The present objections, though, are mainly in relation to environmental concerns, the loss of precious greenery, the strain on resources, the likely traffic congestion for the area etc.
The design for the new parliament building looks impressive. The rest can be left to the imagination unless details are provided to us. The present parliament building has a special design, grandeur and dignity. It is unique in style and imposing in its appearance. Hope is that the new building too will match with the expectations of the modern generation and stand out as a showpiece with more amenities. The Central Vista project also involves a residence for the Prime Minister and Vice President as also space for offices on a larger scale.
The larger question at this time, however, is whether India can afford this multi-crore project when the country is passing through an economic downturn.
