India Needs a New Parliament Building??

[arp2041]

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We need a new House, but preserve Parliament House: MPs





Parliament Building, a heritage edifice that is considered a touchstone of India’s democracy and diversity, is getting old. The signs of ageing are competing with the telltale marks of neglect — a stone tile that has come undone, a fragment broken off the roof, lingering foul smell in some corners, a cable curled around a piece of history, and blatant occupation of space.

And when the occupants of the building need more room, they create it. The men in uniform who should protect it, inadvertently damage it. As for the common man, whose fate is partially decided within the fortified sandstone building, the edifice remains an enigma that can only be marvelled at from afar.

The building itself stands as a timekeeper, carefully shielding history. As age catches up with the monument, there is a clamour for resuscitating and restoring this remnant of India’s historic past. There’s unanimity on that count, but will Parliament continue to function out of the building that Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker designed, or will there be a new address for our Members of Parliament?

“We badly need a new parliament building. This one simply isn’t functional and is outdated,” says Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Rural Development and the MP from Andhra Pradesh.

Biju Janata Dal MP from Kendrapara, Odisha, Baijayant Panda, too agrees that there is a need for creating more space. “The needs and requirements have changed dramatically. The present structure was built in the pre-Independence period, when there was no real democracy, and representatives weren’t fully empowered. Today’s representatives need offices and staff (as is the case in any country), for which new facilities must be built,” he says.

The first priority should be to have Parliament function in a building that’s safe, Mr. Panda says, but affirms that efforts must be made to conserve the existing structure. “The existing structure must, of course, be preserved properly, and there’s no harm in using it as a museum; that is widely accepted as a means of protecting and conserving heritage structures.”

However, the proposal to shift the seat of democracy doesn’t seem to go down well with many people. They are interested in continuing their alliance with the building, where the nation, at the stroke of midnight, announced its tryst with destiny.

“The Parliament building is one of the classics of Indian architecture, and in my view, should be preserved for use as our Parliament. If structural strengthening is necessary, such work can easily be undertaken during parliamentary recesses. The enormous value of our architectural heritage — of feeling one is sitting in the very chambers graced by giants like Jawaharlal Nehru, B. R. Ambedkar and Sardar Patel — is an indispensable part of our parliamentary traditions, and shouldn’t be discarded lightly,” says Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram.

The Central Public Works Department, which looks after the maintenance of Parliament building, recently undertook an inspection, and drew up a list of unauthorised constructions, additions to the original design, and a host of alterations that are threatening its structural stability.

The CPWD gave the owner of the building, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, a list of corrections that should be made. “We have been cautioning against encroachments. During the years, there has been rampant occupation of space, offices have been built where there should have been open spaces, staircases have nooks that are being occupied by office staff, and a canteen was being run till recently, which caused a lot of damage, and even exposed the building to the threat of fire,” said an official.

The deteriorating condition of the heritage building has sounded an alarm bell. But most MPs believe there is reason enough to allow Parliament to function from the existing building. To meet the growing demand for space, there are alternatives.

“We don’t really need another Parliament building. The people who are suggesting that we need a new building are mistaken. How old are Parliament buildings in Britain and the United States? Our building has been persistently misused. This is part of our tradition and history, and as the oldest member of Parliament, I will protest and oppose any move to bring it down or shift its seat,” says CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta, MP from Ghatal in West Bengal.

The need for more space can be met by moving out offices to new buildings, says Ajay Maken, MP from New Delhi and the current Sports Minister. “We already have an annexe. We can expand that. Some offices can move there. As far as the seat of Parliament is concerned, however, we should continue to use the existing building. It is a heritage marvel, and hence needs to be protected. The feeling that envelops you when you step inside is incredible. You cannot recreate that feeling in a brand new building.”

And with the House seemingly divided on the issue of a new address, the old, but magnificent Parliament building awaits a revival.

The Hindu : News / National : We need a new House, but preserve Parliament House: MPs



Sites proposed for new Parliament building


The concern over the structural safety of Parliament House, a heritage building, and the clamour for more space for Members of Parliament has forced the authorities concerned to look for an alternative to the existing set-up.

One suggestion is to build a replica of Parliament House on the southern side of Vijay Chowk.

In a report prepared by the Union Urban Development Ministry and submitted to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, it has been recommended that a new structure can be built across the Vijay Path as was envisaged by Sir Edward Lutyens himself.

“While planning the buildings around Raisina Hill, Lutyens had thought of a circular building, a mirror image of Parliament House on the Southern Side of the Vijay Chowk. The plot that was marked for this construction is currently being used as temporary barracks. This land can be used for building a new House that will address the current space and safety concerns,” said an official.

The Ministry has suggested that the new building can be made to resemble the existing House on the outside, but the interiors can be designed to accommodate the needs of the MPs. Both buildings can be connected through a tunnel passing right under the Vijay Chowk.

The second option, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has been informed, is using the space adjacent to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Road where government properties stand. “There are a few old residential buildings on a plot that can be cleared to create space for a new Parliament House or an annex whatever is found suitable. There is a precedence of clearing old set ups to create new,” said the official.

The report has also suggested “repair, rehabilitation and strengthening of the existing building.” “Once the new space is ready, the Central Public Works Department can carry out rehabilitation work of the existing Parliament House. Because it is a heritage structure and needs specific work, it will take four to five years to conclude the work, right from planning to execution,” the official said.

No consensus

In the absence of a consensus whether India should get a new Parliament building, or simply repair and conserve the old, the Union Urban Development Ministry finds itself hunting for a suitable option.

The Ministry that recently undertook a detailed survey of the seat of democracy has begun taking remedial measures, removing clutter, reducing dead weight from the Parliament House, all of which threaten the safety of the building.

“It was designed for 180 members, but as the numbers grew and the need for space increased, benches had to be added to the galleries as well. There are several rows towards the periphery that don’t even have tables,” said the official.

Alarming revelations

A survey of the building’s structural safety recently threw up alarming revelations. Alterations to the original design and unauthorised occupation of space, presence of hazardous materials and congestion were identified in the survey as threats to the heritage building’s safety.

“Our Parliament House is decades old. Over the years, weather, wear and tear, security paraphernalia and other additions and alterations to the buildings have caused a lot of damage. Since there is a need for space, we can relocate the Houses and offices to a new building and convert the old to a museum, just as Australia has done. In Australia, where the Parliament building was built around the same time as ours, functioning Parliament has been shifted to a new building, which was constructed in the 1980s,” the official said.

The Hindu : News / National : Sites proposed for new Parliament building

[Jade]

Waste of tax payers money

[airmarshal]

Please no new building. This is perhaps the most beautiful structure in the sub continent. It has an imposing, authoritative look that no other parliament building in the world could match.

What the designers could do is to augment and modify the structure in such a way that it fits the modern requirements but keeps the heritage. Its not difficult. A lot of centuries old and historically significant buildings in the west have been modified without compromising the original structure. If you go around London, you will realize what I m talking about.

I would give a hats off to Edwin Lutyens for designing the new city befitting the nation's capital. The structures of New Delhi command respect and exude authority. I specially like the two tone stone structure which simply looks magnificent.

[ajtr]

Get those tabbacco/kheni/paan chewing MP/staff out first to improve the look and smell problem.

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

Get those tabbacco/kheni/paan chewing MP/staff out first to improve the look and smell problem.

Can you name a few?

[ajtr]

Can you name a few?

Who???staff or MP

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

Who???staff or MP

MP/Staff who spit inside or around the Parliament.I would really love to know this as i have no clue about this.

And dont forget to back it up with proofs fellow Indian

[ajtr]

Why dont you go and check out yourself move around abit. or do u expect me to post pics MP staff spitting there or from security camera.......or cant u go there fellow...non-Indian.

[majja gamma]

indians have this problem...they spit alot and urinate alot.....back in university there was this indian guy from mumbai...he was spitting and going to latrines for urine all the time.....

[KRAIT]

indians have this problem...they spit alot and urinate alot.....back in university there was this indian guy from mumbai...he was spitting and going to latrines for urine all the time.....

hmmm...good observation....now move on...

[notsuperstitious]

What we need is new modern technology equipped hygienic efficient nice smelling parliamentarians!

[Sashan]

India needs a new parliament but not in Delhi but somewhere in Vidarbha. Move the capital to Vidarbha which is smack at the centre of India. Mughals and British retained Delhi as the capital and it made sense as their empire included Pakistan. Now what is the need for a North centric capital??

[jha]

Hmm...

Another scam in making... What a waste...

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

Why dont you go and check out yourself move around abit. or do u expect me to post pics MP staff spitting there or from security camera.......or cant u go there fellow...non-Indian.

Then dont talk non sense here..none of your posts are backed by any facts.

[Neuro]

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India needs a new parliament but not in Delhi but somewhere in Vidarbha. Move the capital to Vidarbha which is smack at the centre of India. Mughals and British retained Delhi as the capital and it made sense as their empire included Pakistan. Now what is the need for a North centric capital??

I agreed ,Nagpur is a gud option then New Delhi will acts as deputy capital. But people won't accept especially from UP.

In addition New Delhi is very close to hostile neighbors so changing the capital is necessary.