Parliament building unsafe, cramped: Central Public Works Department to Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has told the Supreme Court that the existing Parliament building was structurally not safe and was cramped and inadequate in many ways. It said that a new Parliament building, which will reflects indigenous technology, knowledge and 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 cannot be expanded to build additional seating for a larger Parliament and 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 CPWD affidavit also claimed that the government did not propose to spend `20,000 crore on the project at one go, but over six years. The affidavit claimed that to ensure smooth and unhindered functioning of Parliament, either an alternative building would have to be identified and 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 and the Rajya Sabha four times the existing size with the latest state-of-the art technology and will save Rs 1000 crore per year by way of rentals.

“The new building will be constructed with enhanced structural life which will last for centuries.”