Sambalpur: Historic Shift From Old To New Parliament Building

To address the special function in Central Hall of the old parliament building as senior-most parliamentarians, veteran politicians like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, JMM leader Shibu Soren and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi have been invited today.

The much-awaited historic move of shifting the entire parliamentary system from the circular Lutyens’ building to the humongous lion-capitol-topped triangular edifice on Central Vista is all set to be performed today. As per media reports, the historic transfer procedure will initiate with a photo session and a function in the Central Hall of the old parliament building, following which PM Modi will walk to the new Parliament House, carrying a copy of the Constitution. All the MPs are expected to follow him.

To address the special function in the Central Hall of Parliament as seniormost parliamentarians, veteran politicians like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, JMM leader Shibu Soren and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi have been invited today.

Cabinet clears historic Women’s Reservation Bill

The Union cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the constitution amendment bill to provide reservations for women in Parliament and state assemblies, paving the way for the introduction of the historic bill in the ongoing special session of Parliament, officials said.

Some BJP functionaries claimed that the new bill won’t be identical to the 2010 bill and might expand the scope of reservation beyond the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. In the 2010 bill, there ws also no provision for ‘quota within quota’—a key demand of many regional parties.

The Old Parliament Building

From Nehru’s midnight hour speech to the adoption of the Constitution, the 96-year-old circular Lutyens’ parliament building has witnessed countless revolutions in the landscape of Indian politics since it was opened in 1927.

The design of the edifice, an exemplary embodiment of British architecture, was the brainchild of British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

It has been reported that the old building from now onwards will be “conserved, as it is an archaeological asset of the country.” 

The New Parliament Building

Back in May this year, the new parliament building on Kartavya Path, the heart of Delhi, was unveiled by PM Modi. The Lok Sabha Chamber of the new building has a capacity of 888 members while the Rajya Sabha Chamber holds a capacity of 300 people. For a joint sitting of both houses, 1,280 MPs can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber.

Each Member of Parliament will have a 40 sq m office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, which will be completed by 2024. The national archives will also move from the old building to the new.

The four-storey mammoth edifice has a built-up area of 64,500 square meters with three main gates — Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar.  Entrances are separate entrances for VIPs, MPs, and visitors. 

The building planners have drawn inspiration from temples and scriptures. It has a wall, Jan Janani Janmabhoomi, painted by grassroots artists. There are also three galleries to showcase music, crafts, and architecture. The building showcases the country’s glorious heritage, with contributions from artisans and sculptors from across the country, sources said.