Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building at Sansad Marg in Parliament Complex by performing religious rituals at the site. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S. Puri, Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh and several others Union Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament are also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Narendra Modi said, “In India, democracy has been a medium of not just governance but also a way to resolve differences. Different views, different prespectives strengthen a vibrant democracy. There should always be a space for differences but not for disconnect.”
“If we continue on this path of ‘tantra and tatva’, very soon the world will also identify India as the Mother of democracy. Democracy is a culture in India. Democracy is a life value, a way of life and the soul of the life of the nation for India. Democracy of India is a system developed with the experience of centuries,” PM Modi said.
“If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. In the old building, work to fulfill necessities of the nation was done. In the new building, ambitions of India of 21st century will be realised,” the Prime Minister said in his address.
“The new Parliament building is an example of the co-existence of the new and the old. This is an effort to make changes within oneself in accordance with the time and needs. I can never forget the moment in my life when I had the opportunity to come to Parliament House for the first time in 2014 as an MP. Then before stepping into this temple of democracy, I had owed my head and saluted this temple of democracy,” Prime Minister Modi said.
The New Parliament Building will be modern, state-of-the-art and energy efficient, with highly non-obtrusive security facilities to be built as a triangular shaped building, adjacent to the present Parliament. Lok Sabha will be 3 times of the existing size and Rajya Sabha will be substantially bigger. The interiors of the new building will showcase a rich blend of Indian culture and diversity of our regional arts, crafts, textiles and architecture. The design plan includes space for a magnificent Central Constitutional Gallery, which will be accessible to the public.
The construction of New Parliament Building will utilize resource efficient green technology, promote environment friendly practices, generate employment opportunities and contribute towards economic revitalization. It will have high quality acoustics and audio-visual facilities, improved and comfortable seating arrangements, effective and inclusive emergency evacuation provisions. The building will comply with the highest structural safety standards, including adherence to Seismic Zone 5 requirements and is designed for ease of maintenance and operations.
