Case of misplaced priorities: Congress on Rs 13,450 crore Central Vista Project

After SC’s nod to Central Vista project, Congress party said that case was not about the legal aspects, but it was an issue of misplaced priorities during the time of pandemic and economic recession

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NH Web Desk

After Supreme court's nod to the Central Vista project, the Congress party said that the case was not about the legal aspects, but it was an issue of misplaced priorities during the time of pandemic and economic recession.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala took to his Twitter handle to target the central government via series of tweets. In his first tweet, he wrote: "The Rs 13,450 crore Central Vista Project is not a legalistic issue but a case of misplaced priorities of a whimsical autocrat seeking to etch his name in the annals of history with cement and mortar."

In his second tweet Surjewala wrote: “it is ironic that in times of the corona pandemic and economic recession, Delhi has Rs 14,000 crore for the Central Vista and Rs 8,000 crore for buying aircrafts for PM. But the same BJP Govt imposes cuts of Rs 37,530 crore in allowances of 113 lakh Armed Forces and Central Govt Employees and Pensioners."

In his third tweet, Congress Spokesperson attacked PM Modi and wrote: “Prime Minister must not forget that he has imposed cuts of Rs 11,000 crore on 15 lakh soldiers and 26 lakh military pensioners and the same BJP government at the Centre has no time to provide 'heated tents and equipment' to our soldiers braving brazen the Chinese incursions in Ladakh.”


On December 5, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court cleared the redevelopment plan for the Central Vista with a 2:1 majority, although with riders.

The project envisages a new Parliament building, with a seating capacity of up to 1,200 MPs. The project is estimated to be constructed by August 2022, when the country will celebrate its 75th Independence Day.

Earlier, several former civil servants wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their disappointment over the centre's ambitious central vista redevelopment project, which, they have said is "wasteful and unnecessary".

The 69 signatories including former IAS officers Jawhar Sircar, Jawed Usmani, Harsh Mander and former IPS officers AS Dulat, Amitabh Mathur claimed that the country’s public health infrastructure was crying out for investment and asked why this “wasteful and unnecessary project must take precedence over social priorities like health and education”.

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