Tata Projects has emerged as the lowest bidder for the construction of the new Parliament building in New Delhi, involving an estimated investment of ₹889 crore. Out of the seven companies that placed their technical bids, only two matched all the requirements. Tata Projects submitted a bid for ₹861.90 crores, and Larsen & Toubro quoted a bid of ₹865 crores. The government is likely to award the contract to Tata Projects soon and is keen that construction starts after the monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on October 1. It would be a ground plus two-storey triangular-shaped building.
The new Parliament building is part of the government’s Central Vista redevelopment plans, and it is likely to be awarded the contract in the next few days. The tender for the mega project is being awarded a year after the Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced a plan to build the new parliament building, housing a new common central secretariat for all ministries, and revamp the Central Vista running from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate. The deadline for the redevelopment and construction of the new parliament building is 2022. A new triangular-shaped parliament building will be constructed while the existing parliament building will be revamped, and the exterior structure of the historic building will be kept intact.
According to a presentation by HCP Design Planning and Management Private Limited, which has been tasked with redeveloping Delhi’s Central Vista, the current design incorporates the state emblem instead of the spire.
The new Parliament building, with a built-up area of approximately 60,000 square metres, is set to come up on plot number 118 of the Parliament House Estate, which currently houses a reception, boundary walls and other temporary structures.
The central foyer has been renamed the Constitution Hall, as it is expected to display the Constitution for public viewing. A library will also come up near the central foyer.
The triangular complex is designed to include 120 offices with six separate entrances for members of the public, MPs and VIPs, including the Speaker and the vice president.
The New Parliament will house enlarged chambers for the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha; the latter has been designed to accommodate 1,350 MPs in case of joint sessions. The public gallery will seat more than 336 persons. The current Parliament building is over 90 years old.
HCP, which won the bid last year, will also construct a separate building to house MP offices where the Transport Bhawan and the Shram Shakti Bhawan currently stand.
