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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building and dedicated it to the nation on Sunday morning in a ceremony that started with a havan and was followed by multi-faith prayers.
Modi, with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla by his side, installed the historic ‘Sengol’, a symbol of power and fair governance of the Chola reign, in the new Lok Sabha chamber, next to the Speaker’s chair.
“This Sengol will keep reminding us that we have to walk on the path of duty and remain answerable to the public,” Modi said on Saturday while addressing Adheenams (priests) who handed over the sceptre to him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks into the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building, in New Delhi, Sunday, May 28, 2023. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is also seen. (PIB Photo)
Modi then inaugurated the new Parliament building by unveiling the plaques to mark the occasion.
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As part of the ceremony, the Prime Minister then felicitated the workers responsible for building the new Parliament, which was completed in a record time of less than three years following the foundation being laid on December 10, 2020, and construction beginning in January 2021.
PM Modi felicitated the workers responsible for building the new Parliament (PIC: PIB)
Space for new
The new building will replace the existing one, which is now going to be almost 100 years old.
According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the newly constructed building, which will work to further enrich India’s glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi installs the ‘Sengol’ in an enclosure on the right side of the Speaker’s chair in the Lok Sabha chamber at the inauguration of the new Parliament building, in New Delhi, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (PTI Photo)
In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha.
Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in Lok Sabha Chamber.
PM meeting with Adheenam in New Delhi on May 27, 2023. (PIC: PIB)
Estimated cost and size
The new building, which stands adjacent to the existing Parliament House, is designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning, and Management under the architect Bimal Patel.
The new building is spread across an area of 64,500 sq m and the total cost is estimated at around ₹900 crore.
The building is said to use modern technology that includes biometrics for ease of voting, digital language interpretation and translation systems, and programmable microphones.
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