The Chhattisgarh government has put the construction of a new Assembly building complex on hold in the wake of COVID-19 situation, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel tweeted on Thursday.
The move comes two days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in which he had pointed out that “the people were contrasting the Congress stand on Central Vista with the Chhattisgarh government going ahead to build a new Assembly complex”.
The Congress has been repeatedly asking the Centre to stop work on the Central Vista project that includes constructing a new Parliament building and new residences for the Prime Minister and Vice-President and spend the amount earmarked for the project on tackling the pandemic.
Former union minister Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Dear PM @narendramodi, This how a responsive and responsible government works in a democracy. Chhattisgarh Govt is prioritising the lives of its people above everything else and redoubling its efforts to fight COVID-19.When will you learn and stop this Central Vista madness?”
Mr. Baghel tweeted, “Our citizens - our priority. Foundation stone for the construction of new Assembly building, Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister’s residence, residence of ministers and senior officials, new circuit house was laid before start of Corona. Today, all these construction works have been stopped in these times of crisis”.
A statement from the Chhattisgarh government said that bhoomi pujan (ground-breaking ceremony) for the work was done on November 25, 2019, much before even the first wave of COVID hit India.
“Now, on the instructions of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the major construction works in Nava Raipur have been stopped with immediate effect,” it said, adding that the chief engineer of the Public Works Department has issued the necessary orders.
