Government has decided to fast track construction of the Central Vista project and set a deadline to build a new residence for the Prime Minister. Already designated as an “essential service” amid the raging coronavirus pandemic, the new official home will be constructed by December 2022.
Despite heavy criticism by the Opposition and activists, the construction for the Central Vista project was cleared by the Supreme Court in January this year. It has also received an environmental clearance to expedite the makeover. Among the buildings that will be constructed, the government has prioritised the new PM house and the headquarters of the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is exclusively dedicated to the Prime Minister’s security.
The Centre has also set aside Rs 20,000 crore and a strict time frame for the construction of the same, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) informed.
The Central Vista revamp — the power corridor of the country — envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a Common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president at the heart of New Delhi.