Lok Sabha Speaker wants a new Parliament House
Sumitra Mahajan wrote to the Urban development ministry saying the building needs to be more technologically advanced and spacious.
Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Urban Development seeking they build a new Parliament house. In her letter, Mahajan said the Parliament needs better technology and must be more spacious. She suggested the new building be built within the current premises or across the Rajpath boulevard. Ministry officials will discuss the matter with the Union Cabinet and the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
Reports stated that the number of seats in the House might increase after 2026, according to a clause in Article 81 of the Constitution, which says representation in Parliament should be on the basis of population according to the last census. In this case, that might mean the 2021 census. The current building has also been declared a heritage structure, which means repairs and construction work are severely limited. Mahajan has also argued that the number of staff, mediapersons, security personnel, and others working there has increased over the years, and plans for the initial house did not include such growth.
Mahajan is not the first Speaker to suggest a new Parliament building. Her predecessor Meira Kumar pitched for a change of venue as well.