Amid the controversy of Construction of Central Vista during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Sunday said that the Redevelopment of Central Vista Master Plan was conceived in September 2019, many months earlier than then the pandemic started.
As per the official estimates, around ₹20,000 crore is being spent on the redevelopment project.
“The Central Vista development/redevelopment plan is a generational infrastructure investment project, involving multiple projects spread over six years. The ₹20,000 crore is gross rough estimate of all the planned development/ redevelopment works which includes the new Parliament building Chambers for Members of Parliament, the Central Vista Avenue etc,” said the official statement.
The MoHUA also rejected the claims that the funds for the redevelopment of the Central Vista have been diverted from public healthcare and Covid-19 response.
“Public Health has been a priority of the government which is exemplified in Union Budget 2020-21, where there was a 137 per cent increase from previous year’s budget estimate in allocation for public healthcare and well-being expenditure from ₹94,000 crore to ₹2.23 lakh crore. The amount ₹ 35,000 crore of the annual allocation has been allocated as a one-time grant towards Covid-19 vaccination, significantly more than the cost of the Central Vista redevelopment project,” added the statement.
There were also objections regarding the New Parliament Building being constructed, while the existing Parliament building could have been renovated. “The present building was never designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy,” said the statement.
On concerns relating to environment and heritage conservation, the statement said, “Environmental sustainability is at the core of the Central Vista project, with a comprehensive plan to use centralised systems and infrastructure, promote the use of public transport and have upgradeable technology, systems and services to ensure environmental sustainability.”
“The projects will result in overall increase in green cover. No trees will be cut in any projects in Central Vista. Trees will be transplanted in Eco-Park being developed by NTPC at Badarpur after due permissions from competent authorities.”
“None of the listed Heritage Buildings in Central Vista (India Gate, Parliament, North & South Blocks, National Archives or any other) will be demolished,” said the statement.