New Parliament Building Foundation Stone Ceremony: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited new Parliament building of the country on Wednesday and will perform a Bhoomi Pujan ceremony. The ground-breaking ceremony will be attended by leaders of different political parties and even envoys from other countries.

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The event will begin at  12:55 pm and the foundation stone will be laid at 1 pm, officials said, adding that a 'sarva dharma prarthana' (inter-faith prayer) will be held at 1.30 pm. The prime minister will deliver his address on the occasion at 2.15 pm, reported PTI.

What is the estimated cost of the building?

The new Parliament building is expected to be completed  at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

By when is the building expected to be ready?

With a target of holding a Parliament session in the new building on the 75th anniversary of the country's Independence, the government plans to get it ready by October 2022 .

Key features of the new Parliament building:

  • The new building will have an area of 64,500 square metres.

  • The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.

  • In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members.

  • The Lok Sabha chamber will have an option to increase its sitting capacity to 1,224 members during joint sessions.

  • This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses.

  •  Tata Projects Limited will construct the new Parliament House over a total area of 64,500 sq metre.

  • The design has been prepared by HCP Design, Planning and Management Private Limited..

  • The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.

  •  As per Ministry of Urban Affairs will be equipped with sophisticated technical features such as a solar energy mechanism. The new triangular shaped building adjacent to the existing Parliament House will be equipped with state-of-the-art security features.

  • The décor of the new building will have an eclectic mix of influences from Indian culture, regional arts, crafts and architecture. The design plan includes a central Constitutional gallery that will be open for the general public.