PM’s residence, office likely to shifted near South Block: Sources

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista envisages a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath

The prime minister’s residence and office are likely to be shifted near the South Block and the vice-president’s new house will be in the vicinity of the North Block as per a blueprint prepared by the government for its ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project, sources said.

The vice president’s residence is among those buildings identified by the government for demolition in Lutyens’ Delhi, they said.

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista envisages a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath — from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

“Shifting the residences of the vice-president and the prime minister close to the North Block and the South Block, respectively, is being planned. This would also help in easing traffic in the area as VIP movements often cause inconvenience to the people in Lutyens’ Delhi.”

“The residence and office of PM will be close enough so that the prime minister can walk to office from home,” a source said.

There is also a plan to convert the North Block and the South Block into two museums, the sources said. The new Parliament building will have a seating capacity of 900 to 1,200 MPs, and have modern facilities like computer screens on tables and comfortable seating space, and offices for Union ministers and MPs, as per plans.

“Once the redevelopment project is executed, the government will have a plan for the extension of the Central Vista from the Ridge to the Yamuna river,” the source said.

An official in the Union housing and urban affairs ministry, which is a nodal agency for the mega project, said a huge park near India Gate will also be developed.

The triangular Parliament building is targeted to be constructed by August 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024.

In October last year, Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Designs won the consultancy bid for architectural and engineering planning of the Centre’s ambitious project.

The firm, which will be paid Rs 229.75 crore for consultancy services, will prepare the master plan for the project, including designs, cost estimation, landscape and traffic integration plans, and parking facilities among others.

Central Vista redevelopment to include energy-efficient buildings

Efforts will be made to construct energy-efficient new buildings that will come up after the redevelopment of the Central Vista in Lutyens’ Delhi, the government has said


In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on December 12, 2019, said that the redevelopment of the Central Vista in Lutyens’ Delhi will have green buildings. “The project is in a planning stage. Efforts will be made, to make these buildings energy efficient and harness the solar energy,” he said.

Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Design won the consultancy bid for the centre’s ambitious project, to redevelop the Central Vista, including Parliament and Rajpath, and develop a common central secretariat for various ministries. The firm, which will be paid Rs 229.75 crores for consultancy services, will prepare the master plan of the project, including designs, cost estimation, landscape and traffic integration plans and parking facilities.

 


Lutyens’ Delhi redevelopment: Government to constitute core team to supervise project

The government will soon constitute a core team of CPWD officers, to execute the redevelopment plan for the over three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, in Lutyens’ Delhi

September 19, 2019: Union housing and urban affairs secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, has said that he is in the process of selecting officers of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which has been given the responsibility of executing the ambitious redevelopment plan for Central Vista, the over three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, in Lutyens’ Delhi. Earlier this month, the government had floated a request for proposal (RFP) for ‘development or redevelopment of parliament building, common central secretariat and Central Vista’.

“RFPs have been floated. Although works will be executed by other companies, the core team will have the responsibility of supervising the project,” the housing and urban affairs secretary said. Last week, the Narendra Modi government unveiled its mega plan to redevelop the over three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

Sources in the CPWD said the decision on which buildings will be razed, while redeveloping the Central Vista, will be taken only after seeing the designs submitted by bidders. The development or redevelopment of parliament will be done by August 2022. By 2020, the Central Vista will be redeveloped and the common central secretariat will be built by 2024.

 


South Delhi colony redevelopment: HC permits authorities to seek approvals for revised plan

The Delhi HC has allowed the centre to approach the appropriate authorities, to seek necessary approvals for the revised proposals, regarding the redevelopment of six south Delhi colonies

October 10, 2018: A Delhi High Court bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice VK Rao said that since the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has reviewed the proposals to redevelop the six colonies in south Delhi, the ministry or the NBCC, which would carry out part of the work, can seek the necessary approvals and the authorities shall consider it, in accordance with law. The court, in its interim order, said the ministry or the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) shall also be at liberty to approach the Tree Officer of the Delhi government, if required, as per the revised proposal, for tree felling permissions.

“Further action or steps shall be taken by respondent No.1 (ministry) or NBCC, as per the decision of the statutory authorities,” the bench said. The court had reserved its order, after hearing arguments on behalf of all stakeholders, including the ministry, residents of the area and the NBCC, regarding the redevelopment work in the six colonies – Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Mohammadpur and Srinivaspuri. The ministry and the NBCC had told the bench that they have made several changes to the project, to ensure that the number of trees to be felled and water consumption in the area are reduced.

See also: No tree will be cut for redevelopment of seven colonies in south Delhi: Housing minister

Apart from that, the road infrastructure would be ‘augmented’, to accommodate the increase in vehicular traffic, they had added. The ministry in its affidavit, filed through central government standing counsel Ripudaman Singh Bhardwaj, had said it has reduced the proposed number of dwelling units in the project area by 739, to reduce the felling of trees. Under the reworked plan, there will be 24,928 dwelling units in the area, it had said, adding that changes have been made in the layout plan, architectural designs and parking spaces, to bring down the number of trees to be felled.

The ministry and the NBCC had also said that redevelopment of the area would lead to conservation of water, as this resource was being wasted in huge quantities presently, due to poor and inefficient plumbing systems there.

The court was hearing PILs, challenging the terms of reference (ToR) and the environmental clearances granted to the housing projects at seven colonies – Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Mohammadpur and Srinivaspuri – claiming that it would result in the felling of around 16,500 trees. It also said that the interim order, prohibiting construction work at Nauroji Nagar, shall continue till the next date of hearing on November 28, 2018. Over 2,000 trees have already been felled in Nauroji Nagar, where the NBCC plans to build a commercial hub, which will include a World Trade Centre.

The bench had, on August 30, 2018, directed that status quo be maintained regarding the project, till the centre reconsiders the environment clearances given to the work in the six colonies, after the court was told that the clearance was granted on the basis of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report that had ‘copy-pasted’ its contents from another project report in Tamil Nadu.

 

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