The laying of the foundation of the new Parliament building will be remembered as a "proud day for all 130 crore Indians", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, adding that the new building will be a "symbol of a new and self-reliant India".
Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of new Parliament building, the Prime Minister said that inauguration of the construction work of the new Parliament House of India is one of the most important stages of our democratic tradition.
"If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of ''Atmanirbhar Bharat''. If work is done to fulfill the needs of the country in the old Parliament House, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building," he said.
Earlier today, PM Modi today performed ground-breaking ceremony of the new parliament building in a grand ceremony attended by over 200 dignitaries, including Union Ministers, Ministers of State, MPs, foreign envoys and religious leaders. Ratan Tata, whose Tata Projects is a part of the building plan, was also present.
The new parliament building is the key piece of the ₹ 20,000-crore Central Vista project, which aims to build and refurbish the government buildings on part of the 3 km Rajpath that stretches from the presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan to the iconic war memorial India Gate. The construction cannot begin for now with the Supreme Court hearing petitions challenging the project.
The proposed four-storied building would sprawl over an area of 64,500 sq meters and cost an estimated ₹ 971 crore. The construction is expected to be completed in time for the country's 75th Independence Day in August 2022.
