• Source:JND
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building at Sansad Marg in New Delhi on May 28, 2023. The newly constructed building, which will house the Parliament of India, is a part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The project was undertaken to revamp the Central Vista, which is the central administrative area of the Indian Government located near the Raisana Hills, New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the idea of a new Parliament house stemmed from the fear of stability of the existing Parliament building which is around 100 years old. The old Parliament house was inaugurated on January 1927 by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Here Are Top 10-Lesser Known Facts About The New Parliament Building:

- The new parliament building has 1272 seats of which 888 are reserved for Lok Sabha and 384 seats for Rajya Sabha.

- This Parliament building is storeys tall, sprawled across 64,500 square metres located in the heart of the national capital.

-The responsibility for designing India's new parliament building was given to Ahmedabad-based firm HCP Design Planning Private Limited after several rounds of bidding. The building itself was constructed by the Tata Group at a cost of Rs. 971 crore, in a little over two years.

- As per the government's own website on the Central Vista project, construction of the new parliament building has utilized: 26,045 metric tons of steel; 63,807 metric tons of cement and 9,689 metric tons of fly ash

- Bimal Patel is the chief architect of the building.

- Apart from the two Sabhas, the building also includes spaces for a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and a large parking space.

-The new Lok Sabha is 3 times larger than the older one and its design is inspired by India's national bird peacock. Meanwhile, the new Rajya Sabha's design is inspired by Lotus, India's national Flower.

-Apart from increased seating capacity in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the new parliament building also has increased seating capacity for joint sessions of Parliament, with seating for upto 1,272 members and provisions for another 1,140 additional seats.

- The building is said to have a lifespan of around 150 years and it is shaped like a triangle and is 10 per cent smaller than the old building.

-A historical sceptre called “Sengol” would be placed at an important spot in the new parliament building.

- The inauguration of the new parliament has also sparked a row after 19 parties have expressed their unwillingness to attend the inauguration.