Parliament session will be held in new building in 2022: LS speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said to mark the 75th anniversary of the country in 2022, the parliament session will be held in the new building.

"...to fulfil the dream of 'New India'. Indian parliament will hold its session in 2022, in new Parliament House to mark the 75th anniversary of its independence," Birla said, speaking at the 25th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Ottawa in Canada.

Noting that the Parliament House Building has completed 92 glorious years after it was made functional in 1927, Birla said in a statement issued by Lok Sabha Secretariat that there is an urgent need to provide sufficient space and facilities for the Members of Parliament and the staff in Parliament House to fulfil the dream of 'New India'.

Birla also made it clear that members and staff of parliament will be consulted before undertaking the renovation and reconstruction and that too, within the prescribed time limit with minimal capital and without any interference in the parliamentary work.

The speaker said the redevelopment of the Central Vista from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate has been initiated and the aim of this exercise is to fulfil the needs for the next 250 years.

"Architecture of Parliament building symbolises the aspirations of the State and its people; it also epitomizes the character of the State, its traditions and cultural heritage," Birla was quoted as saying in the statement.

With the increasing number of lawmakers and the ever-growing mandate of Parliaments, he said, the legislatures across the world are also expanding.

The speaker emphasised that the renovation and reconstruction of Parliamentary building facilitates transformation in cultural, technological and infrastructural spheres which strengthen the interface of citizens with parliament and in turn consolidates democracy.

Birla said legislatures across the world have been contemplating to renovate and redevelop parliamentary buildings to address the emerging requirements of the 21st Century.