New Delhi's ceremonial boulevard Rajpath will be getting a makeover soon, as the central government has reportedly decided to invest in re-development work for the roadway soon after the 2021 Republic Day parade.
After the modernisation work, the revamped Rajpath is projected to have 'vending zones' and other facilities to cater to visitors. There are also talks of turning the North and the South Block into an earthquake-resistant museum building.
According to news agencies, the government will finalise on an architecture firm before Diwali this year and the re-development works are likely to commence from the first week of February 2021, shortly after the Republic Day parade on January 26, adding that the 2022 parade is scheduled to take place on the revamped Rajpath.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier in the week said that talks of constructing a new Parliament building were also in the talks. The new building, if constructed, will replace the present Sansad Bhavan, the 85-year-old structure that currently houses the Parliament of India. The building is said to have been structural issues for a while and has inadequate space for offices of the Ministers and Members of Parliament (MP). A Common Central Secretariat and Central Vista might also be in talks.
The Rajpath, a remnant of the British Raj at Lutyens' Delhi that runs from the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill to National Stadium in Delhi, is considered one of the most important roadways in the country.
