Coronavirus: Meetings of environment ministry's green panel put on hold till March 31

With the number of coronavirus cases rising across the country every day, the ministry of environment has put all meetings of expert appraisal committees (EAC), responsible for issuing green clearances, on hold till March 31. "We have put all (meetings of) EACs on hold due to the situation. No meeting will take place till March 31. One meeting means 50-60 people coming together. So we will not have that," said a top environment ministry official.

Among the several projects pending before the Committees is the proposal to construct a new Parliament building, which is a part of the government's grandiose plan to redevelop Central Vista. Asked about green clearance to Central Vista project, the ministry official said, "We don't have the entire project seeking clearance. Only the new Parliament building proposal has come to us. But all meetings have been put on hold for now." Coronavirus has claimed five lives in India with the number of infected cases above 200 as on Friday.

The Central Vista plan proposes to construct a new Parliament building with the existing one being converted into a museum. The prime minister's residence and office are likely to be shifted near the South Block and the vice-president's new house will be in the vicinity of the North Block as per a blueprint prepared by the government.

It envisages a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath -- from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate..