Construction of new Parliament to begin from Friday: Key facts about the building

The new Parliament building project is estimated to cost ₹971 crore and is expected to be completed by the 75th anniversary of India's independence in 2022.

The construction of the new Parliament building will commence from Friday, a day after Makar Sakranti, news agency PTI reported citing government officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on December 10.

Vehicles travel past the construction site for the new Parliament building, part of the Central Vista Project redevelopment project, in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. India's Supreme Court allowed the federal government to build a new parliament, a win for Prime Minister�Narendra Modi�whose legacy will include the ambitious development. Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

The new building will replace the existing Parliament House which was built by the British. Its foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921. After the new building is ready, the present Parliament House will be turned into a museum.

The new Parliament building project is estimated to cost ₹971 crore and is expected to be completed by the 75th anniversary of India's independence in 2022.

Here are the key facts about the new Parliament building:

1) The new triangular complex will be big enough to house 1,224 members of Parliament - 888 in the Lok Sabha and 384 in the Upper House.

2) The 64,500 sq m new building is part of the Central Vista redevelopment project which will also include 10 other buildings which will house all 51 Union ministries. The integrated complex will have underground transit connectivity.

3) The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.

4) The plan also includes furniture with smart displays and biometrics for ease of voting with an intuitive and graphical interface, digital language interpretation and recording infrastructure to produce real-time metadata, according to a PTI report.

5) It will also have programmable microphones which will give control to the speaker for the house for better management of the sessions.

6) Smog towers will also be an integral part of the new building project. Additionally, authorities will also use smog guns at the construction site throughout the construction phase.