Central Vista: Use of old Parliament building not decided yet, says Minister

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that once the new Parliament building was ready, the existing one will have to be repaired and made available for alternate use but no comprehensive thought has been given on what use it should be put to.

He said no historical or iconic building in Lutyens Delhi will be demolished for the Central Vista project but few buildings will have to be demolished “only when alternate offices have been constructed”. The Centre wants to re-develop the 3-km stretch from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate known as the Central Vista project. The plan, as drafted by the Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management, involves constructing a triangular shaped Parliament building adjacent to the one built in the 1920s by the British, demolishing the post-Independence office buildings and replacing them with 10 multi-storey office complexes to house all Ministries. The plan is also afoot to revamp the civic infrastructure and facilities for the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.