Old parliament building will be ‘‘retrofitted’ for use: report

New Delhi: A few hours from now, the lawmakers will start working in the new parliament building.

The grand old building that witnessed several momentous turning points in the country’s journey will eventually fade into history.

Established in 1927, the 96-year-old building was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Most Indians are familiar with the building from media reports, so much so that it is nearly synonyms with India’s democratic process itself.

Its rotund structure never ceases to rouse curiosity in people living even in the remotest corners of the nation.

The iconic structure witnessed events including the adoption of the Constitution, passage of several critical amends and bills over the years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked "every brick" of the old building, adding that lawmakers will enter the new building with ‘new hope and confidence’, NDTV reported.

The government has no plans to raze the old building, instead it would be ‘retrofitted’ for use.

‘The historic structure will be conserved, as it is an archaeological asset of the country,’ the government sources reportedly said.

Back in 2021, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Rajya Sabha that the building would be repaired and be used for alternative purposes.

Authorities are considering to shift the national archives to the new building to free up more space in the old one.

Alongside a section of the building will host a museum.

The new building can house 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha section.

Also, the Lok Sabha chamber can accommodate 1,280 MPs during joint sitting.