With India in crisis, the Prime Minister proceeds with an expensive project including a new home for the country’s leader.
The decision to continue the $1.8 billion parliamentary revamp has infuriated the public and opposition politicians, who have pointed to the apparent disconnect in pouring millions into a construction project when the country is struggling with its worst-ever public health crisis.
According to World Health Organization’s weekly Covid-19 report, India has reported more than 3,000 Covid-19 death in the past few days and also accounted for a quarter of global coronavirus fatalities over the past week.
The project known as the Central Vista Redevelopment Project is categorised as an essential project meaning construction is allowed to continue even when most other building projects have been halted.
Moreover, two citizens including one with Covid-19 whose mother also has the virus lodged a case with the Delhi High Court on Wednesday to try to halt construction, which has continued even while the capital is in lock down. The petitioner stated that the parliamentary buildings do constitutes an essential service and construction work could become a Covid super- spreader events. The workers on this project have been ferried from their labour camps to the construction site.
About 46,700 people are expected to be temporarily employed during constructionbas said at the April expert appraisal committee meeting.
The parliament building and construction of a new parliament building will be completed in November 2022, while the Prime Minister’s residence is set to be finished in December 2022.
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