Central Vista: How Modi Government’s Dream Project is an ‘Essential Service’ in the era of Corona Pandemic?

The work of the ambitious Central Vista project, which will change the face of New Delhi, is underway amid horrifying news of people dying due to lack of health facilities in the country’s capital for the past few days.

This government project to be completed at a cost of over Rs 20 thousand crore in the heart of Delhi has been declared an ‘essential service’ and it has been ensured that the workers on this project continue to work despite the lockdown in Delhi.

Under the Central Vista project, the entire area of ​​Rajpath is to be re-developed with a new Parliament building and a new Central Secretariat. Despite the lockdown in Delhi from April 19, the work of Central Vista continued and Delhi Police also gave permission for this.

BBC tried to talk to Delhi Police on this subject and wanted to know how the ongoing work on this project can come under the purview of ‘essential service’?

To get an answer to this question, BBC had sent questions to Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Urban Development Secretary through email but no response has been received from them, this report will be updated after receiving the answer.

Police and Public Works Department

A senior police officer told the BBC, “As per the order of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), on-site construction activities are allowed. So we cannot do anything in this because the DDMA order allows it. From outside. If the workers come, it is not allowed.”

When asked why permission was sought from the police to move the workers if the workers remained on-site, the officer said, “As per our understanding, the workers will remain on the site and the goods will come and go.”

PS Chauhan, Additional Director General, Central Public Works Department, is leading the Central Vista Project.

The BBC asked him how the work on this project could be considered an essential service. He said, “Where workers are available on site, work is allowed to continue. A limited number of workers who are available on site are working. They can work because construction is allowed if They are working on the site. The permission that has been sought from Delhi Police is to bring construction material like concrete.”

When asked how many workers “on-site” are working on this project, he said that he did not have the details and he was not authorized to talk on the subject.

Essential Service or Vanity Project?

The BBC spoke to noted architect Narayan Murthy, who has been opposing the Central Vista project since its inception.

Murthy says, “Why it was included in the essential services can only be answered by those who allowed it. There is nothing so essential about this project. There are many more things that are more urgent at this point of time. “

Murthy says, “Today during the pandemic it is being ensured that the work continues. Hundreds of workers are being brought in overcrowded buses to work on this. The project is going on in the same anti-people way. The way it started.”

These criticisms have been responded to by Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri several times, he told news agency ANI earlier this year, “The new building will reflect India’s aspirations, the existing building is 93 years old to be constructed by the elected government of India.” did not, it was built during the colonial period.”

Architect, urban planner and conservation consultant AG Krishna Menon is currently the convener of the Delhi chapter of INTACH. He says that “the project was unnecessary from the start”.

He says, “Since two years ago, we have been saying that there is no need to run this project. It is a sham project. All this is being done in the name of democracy.”

Menon believes that this project was already wrong, now in the time of pandemic it has become even more wrong. He says, “At this time it is being talked about how much aid is being received from abroad, but when the country itself had so much money, what was the need for that aid?”

He says, “It is a shame that the work of this project is being counted among the essential services. People are dying in hospitals, not getting oxygen. And to make a vanity project it is being called an essential service. is.”

Meena Gupta, former secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, also says that the ongoing work on this project is wrong.

She says, “This is being said to be an essential service. What is there in this that is necessary? In the time of Kovid, you are taking aid from abroad, so why is there such a rush for this project? People from abroad and countries make money and you are not able to stop spending on something which is completely unnecessary.”

Meena Gupta asks, “Why should anyone in the country have to buy vaccines? Why should the government spend more than 20 thousand crores on the development of Central Vista?”

Meena Gupta says that if it is postponed for a year or two till the end of the epidemic, then this money will be used more effectively in the health of the people. It is a matter of wrong priorities.”

Amidst these criticisms, on the same question in February, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri said, “Central Vista will be a symbol of modern India. Some people do not understand its importance, some people cannot see the country developing.”

What is Central Vista Project?

The Central Government has started the Central Vista project with the aim of improving the old buildings on Raisina Hill, improving the Common Secretariat buildings, renovating the old Parliament House and creating new space as per the requirement of the MPs. About 20 thousand crore rupees are estimated to be spent on this project.

The work of the Central Vista is to be completed by November 2021, the work of the new Parliament House by March 2022 and the work of the Common Central Secretariat by March 2024.