On May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the highly anticipated new Parliament building. The four-story structure, designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management and built by Tata Projects Limited, cost an estimated ₹970 crore.
The new Parliament will accommodate 888 Lok Sabha members, up from 543 in the previous building, and 300 Rajya Sabha members, an increase from the previous 250. As the new Parliament lacks a Central Hall, joint sittings of both Houses will take place in the Lok Sabha, which can hold 1,280 Members of Parliament during these sessions.
Previously, joint sessions were held in the Central Hall, seating 436 people with additional seats added during joint sittings. The inauguration of the new Parliament comes two days after the Modi government marks nine years in office, with Prime Minister Modi having taken his first oath on May 26, 2014. General Elections are slated for 2024.
“Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and invited him to inaugurate the New Parliament Building. Construction of the new Parliament building is complete now and the new building symbolises the spirit of self,” stated the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Consequently, the monsoon session of Parliament will occur in the new building.
The current Parliament building, completed in 1927, is nearly 100 years old. The primary reasons for constructing a new Parliament are space constraints and modernization requirements. Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to build a new Parliament, with the foundation stone laid by Mr. Modi in December 2020.
Originally, construction was anticipated to finish in 2022, coinciding with India’s 75th Independence anniversary. The old Parliament, whose foundation stone was laid in 1921, will be preserved as a heritage asset.
