While the country is at doldrums with the plummeting economy and increasing corona cases, a committee designated by the central government welcomed criticism with its recent decision. Giving a nod to the construction of the Rs 922 crore-worth new Parliament building, the environment ministry’s Expert Appraisal committee cleared the controversial project in its April 22-24 meeting.
In the latest orders issued, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) has recommended granting of green clearance to the “expansion and renovation” of the existing Parliament building. The new building is a part of the government’s grandiose Rs 20,000 Central Vista project on a plot adjacent to the existing structure at an estimated cost of Rs 922 crore.
Right from the announcement stage, the project has been widely criticised by urban planners and civil society groups for spending hundreds of crores on renovating the heritage structure. And now, the project turned on the buzz for granting clearances while the country is at peril. However, the committee stated that it has given a green nod which further depends on the apex court’s decision. It is to the known knowledge that Central Vista Project is under challenge in an on-going case in the Supreme Court.
