LS Speaker hopes new Parliament building will be ready by 2022

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed confidence that the new building of Parliament will be constructed by 2022 when the country completes 75 years of Independence and said the effort is to hold the "new session" in the "new building".

Birla told mediapersons here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given consent to the proposal for constructing the new building.

He said discussions were being held on the location of the new building which will have more seats for MPs and will be built keeping in mind the needs of the future.

"The effort is that when the country celebrates 75th year of Independence in 2022, the new session is held in the new Parliament," he said.

The Speaker said most members were in agreement for a new building.

"Most of the members have suggested that we keep this Parliament building and a build a new Parliament," he said.

Birla said discussions will be held with government, and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats will also hold discussions. "I hope it will be ready by 2022," he said.

The Speaker said that work was being done to make the Parliament paperless and there will be more effort at digitisation in the new Parliament building.

He said it may not be feasible to make the Parliament completely paperless but the effort is to reduce the use of paper to the extent possible.