Union Minister Puri hits out at opposition, says false narrative being created

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri addresses a press conference on Central Vista Project and related matters, in New Delhi.
Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri addresses a press conference on Central Vista Project and related matters, in New Delhi.

Central Vista

NEW DELHI, May 31: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said a false narrative is being created over the Central Vista redevelopment plan and asserted that it is not a “vanity project”, but a necessity.
He also said no design has been finalised for a new Prime Minister’s residence and only two projects — the Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue — are currently being executed at a cost of around Rs 1,300 crore.
Hitting out at the opposition, the Union housing and urban affairs minister said he has been noticing that a false narrative is being created over the central project and added that no heritage building will be “touched”.
“It is not a vanity project, and this is a project of necessity,” Puri asserted while addressing a press conference.
The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed the construction work of the Central Vista project to continue, saying it was a “vital and essential” national project.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh dismissed a plea seeking to halt the project during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the petition was “motivated” and “not a genuine PIL”. It imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioners.
The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation’s power corridor, envisages a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Prime Minister’s residence and office, and a new Vice President Enclave. (PTI)