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IT TOOK several attempts, different choices of locations and a visit to Gandhinagar to see how the Gujarat Chief Minister’s New Secretariat was constructed in 2013 before the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) settled on what is now the New Parliament, Joint Central Secretariat and Executive District projects , according to CPWD’s former general manager, Prabhakar Singh, who oversaw the planning of the Central Vista plan.
When asked about challenges to the Central Vista plan in 2019 and 2020, Singh, who was CPWD DG from July 2018 to January 2020, said: “Criticism by so-called activists, environmentalists, political opponents, etc. is an integral part of life for CPWD architects. They help in improving the planning and design of projects in addition to their determination to complete the project in a timely manner and within cost.”
He said the plan to build a new parliament was first discussed in 2012 when the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mira Kumar, expressed the need. CPWD explored new building construction options in Vijay Chowk or near Rakabganj Gurdwara. This building was to be for the Lok Sabha alone, while the Rajya Sabha was to operate from the existing Parliament House, which was to be connected via an underground tunnel. That plan never took off.
Then in 2014, when the NDA government came to power, the CPC was informed by the concerned officials that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been employed in a more functional office as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Singh, who was chief engineer in New Delhi before becoming managing director, said he was asked to visit Gandhinagar to see the offices of the chief minister and ministers at Swarnim Sankul, which was completed in 2013. In the South Block, where the PMO office is located, ministers and officials take time to Other ministries take longer to reach meetings as their offices are located in other buildings, while all the offices of the Ministers of the Gujarat Secretariat are located in the same building. The CM’s office is surrounded by meeting rooms, where multiple meetings can be held in quick succession.
Singh said the union ministries are spread across 47 buildings in Delhi, with 12 ministries located outside the Central Vista area. He said most of the buildings, which were constructed after independence, had outlived their serviceable life and needed regular renovation to match the Rs. 50 crore per year.
With the need for modern office space in mind and a push from the PMO, CPWD began looking at options for a new secretariat.
“In 2014, we looked at various locations for this new central secretariat, including the Lodi Colony,” he said.
Eventually, the plan evolved into the masterplan for Central Vista drawn up by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management which was completed by CPWD in 2019 and is being implemented today. HCP is also the architect of Swarnim Sankul in Gandhinagar.
The Central Joint Secretariat is being constructed along Central Vista after the demolition of existing buildings such as the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts Campus.
The new parliament, which was inaugurated by the prime minister on May 28 and is likely to host the monsoon session starting on July 20, is built on a triangular plot of land next to the old building that housed the parliament facilities earlier.
“We considered this lot, Lot #118, in 2012 as well. But it was found to be too small for the functional requirements. However, in 2019, we chose it because it was the only option. Singh said.
The plot near Rakabganj Gurdwara that was previously considered for the new Parliament is now the site of the ongoing Vice Presidential Enclave project. CPWD suggested building the VP headquarters inside Rashtrapati Bhavan as land was available. However, he said it has not been approved by the concerned authorities.
Completed in 1927, the Old Parliament has seen additions and damage over the years, including chipped sandstone floors. Singh said he started his career at CPWD in 1982 as an Executive Assistant Engineer at Parliament House. At that time the building was air conditioned.
There are walls seven feet thick. The building is not designed for air conditioning. But there was a natural flow of air due to the columns. The whole building was breathing.
He said that the overuse of the building due to high turnout and the future expansion of the parliament after the demarcation of the boundaries means that the old parliament cannot be modified to meet future needs.
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