Central Vista: Union Minister Puri hits out at opposition, says false narrative being created

It imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioners.The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nations power corridor, envisages a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Prime Ministers residence and office, and a new Vice President Enclave.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said a false narrative is being created over the Central Vista redevelopment plan and asserted that it is not a ''vanity project'', but a necessity.

He also said no design has been finalised for a new Prime Minister's residence and only two projects -- the Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue -- are currently being executed at a cost of around Rs 1,300 crore.

Hitting out at the opposition, the Union housing and urban affairs minister said he has been noticing that a false narrative is being created over the central project and added that no heritage building will be ''touched''.

''It is not a vanity project, and this is a project of necessity,'' Puri asserted while addressing a press conference. The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed the construction work of the Central Vista project to continue, saying it was a ''vital and essential'' national project.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh dismissed a plea seeking to halt the project during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the petition was ''motivated'' and ''not a genuine PIL''. It imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioners.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Prime Minister's residence and office, and a new Vice President Enclave.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)