Ahmedabad-based firm to redesign Parliament building, Central Vista

The contract for revisiting master plan for the development of central Vista (Rajpath) and a common central secretariat has been awarded to a Gujarat-based firm with the government prescribing stringent timelines for completing various works including the refurbishment of Parliament building by 2024.

Talking to the media, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the consultancy was given to Gujarat-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on October 18. The Minister said that the timeline given to CPWD to complete the Central Vista project is November 2021, the work on Parliament building is to be completed by March 2022 and the common central secretariat by March 2024. 

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The Central Vista, located in the heart of the city, extends from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate and is a tourist attraction. A ministry release said that a lot of visitors come to central vista along the Rajpath and there was an imperative need to enhance its beauty to make it a world-class tourist attraction. The release said that the selected firm has designed various buildings and spaces like central vista and State secretariat at Gandhinagar and development of the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad.

The release said that a "world-class consultant" was required for revisiting the entire master plan for improving the old buildings on Raisina Hill, improve common secretariat buildings, upgrading central vista and refurbishing the Parliament building and making new space to meet requirements of MPs. 

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Selection Process

The process for selection of consultant was started on September 2 when a notice inviting bid was issued by CPWD. The consultancy has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 229.75 crore. "To meet the objective of the selection of a reputed consultant, a system of Quality and Cost Based Selection (80:20) has been adopted," the release said. There were 24 participants in the pre-bid meeting on September 12. The technical bids were opened on September 30 and six bids were received.

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The release said that all bidders were asked to make their presentation on October 11 on approach and methodology before a jury which included reputed architects and landscape designer under the chairmanship of  PSN Rao, Director, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi and chairman Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC). Four bidders were formally selected for the opening of the financial bid, which was done on October 12.

The release said that the HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd emerged with the highest score after assigning 80% weightage to technical (quality aspect) and 20% to the financial aspect. The firm has also been involved with works in Mumbai Port Complex, re-development of Varanasi temple complex, the new campus of IIM Ahmedabad and CII-SN Centre of Excellence in Kolkata.

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(With ANI inputs)