New Delhi: The contract for revisiting master plan for development of central vista (Rajpath) and a common central secretariat has been awarded to a Gujarat-based firm with the government prescribing stringent timelines for completing various works including refurbishment of parliament building by 2024.

Talking to the media here, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the consultancy was given to Gujarat-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on October 18. The minister said that timeline given to CPWD to complete the central vista project is November 2021, the work on parliament building is to be completed by March 2022 and the common central secretariat by March 2024.

The central vista, located in the heart of the city, extends from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate, and is a tourist attraction. A ministry release said that a lot of visitors come to central vista along the Rajpath and there was an imperative need to enhance its beauty to make it a world-class tourist attraction.

The release said the selected firm has designed various buildings and spaces like central vista and state secretariat at Gandhinagar and development of Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad. The release said a "world class consultant" was required for revisiting entire master plan for improving the old buildings on Raisina Hill, improve common secretariat buildings, upgrading central vista and refurbishing the parliament building and making new space to meet requirements of MPs.

The process for selection of consultant was started on September 2 when a notice inviting bid was issued by CPWD. The consultancy has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 229.75 crore. "To meet the objective of selection of a reputed consultant, a system of Quality and Cost Based Selection (80:20) has been adopted," the release said.

There were 24 participants in the pre-bid meeting on September 12. The technical bids were opened on September 30 and six bids were received. The release said all bidders were asked to make their presentation on October 11 on approach and methodology before a jury which included reputed architects and landscape designer under the chairmanship of PSN Rao, Director, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi and chairman Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).

Four bidders were formally selected for opening of financial bid, which was done on October 12. The release said the HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd emerged with the highest score after assigning 80 per cent weightage to technical (quality aspect) and 20 per cent to financial aspect.

The firm has also been involved with works in Mumbai Port Complex, re-development of Varanasi temple complex, new campus of IIM Ahmedabad and CII-SN Centre of Excellence in Kolkata. The release said that after the master plan is prepared, steps would be taken to execute the works by CPWD and works will be awarded to reputed eligible contractors.

The buildings on Raisina Hills were constructed from 1911 to 1931 and designed by Edwin Lutyen and Herbert Baker and parliament building was constructed in the same period. The release said buildings along Rajpath have been constructed at different stages for accommodating offices of various union ministries but requirements have increased manifold over the past 100 years.

It said the buildings designed earlier are not able to provide enough space and amenities and safety standards have also to be improved. More space is required to accommodate all central government offices in nearby area, it added.

The release also said that the number of MPs in parliament may go up in the future after delimitation and more space was for required for the purpose. Even for MPs at present, the space and amenities required is quite insufficient in Parliament House, it said.