WION Mission Smart Cities 2020: Hardeep Singh Puri talks on revamping Delhi Central Vista, says 'nothing heritage will be dismantled'

"Nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled," said Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri while answering WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma's query on Delhi's Central Vista redevelopment.  

While speaking as the Chief Guest at WION Mission Smart Cities 2020 event, Puri touched upon the nuances of the redevelopment of Delhi's Central Vista and said that Delhi's timeless heritage will remain untouched in the process of giving it an overhaul. 

The minister said that through the medium of WION's Mission Smart Cities 2020 event, he got an opportunity to tell the public "that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled". 

Puri said that Delhi's iconic, heritage buildings and state structures now exist for over 70 years and it is incumbent for the government to "occasionally look beyond today and tomorrow and to plan for the next 100 years to come".

"I'm glad you asked me this because this gives me an opportunity to talk about it. Many of these buildings are not earthquake-proof and some are guzzlers of electricity and energy," the Union Minister said, adding that redesigning Central Vista is only going to add more without harming its heritage. 

"I want to use this public platform of WION, which is a respectable medium, to say that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled. There is a rumour that all these iconic buildings are going to come down, nothing will come down. The parliament will remain as it is but you will have something more," Puri stated. 

The Central government has proposed to redevelop Delhi's Central Vista or Rajpath and have a common secretariat for all ministries that are currently spread across buildings in Delhi.

The proposal of revamping the seat of power in the national capital has been won by a Gujarat-based firm.

"People are trying to cast doubts and have been fed misinformation. I want to say that after the Central Vista construction is over, people will be moving to their new offices. Those who have seen the design are raving about it," Puri said. 

Puri's remarks gave the concluding touch to WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event which witnessed eminent personalities converge their ideas on the making of India's 'smart cities'. 

WION's Mission Smart Cities 2020 event focused on key topics. The 'Session 1' of the event focused on designing the future of India and unravelling the buzzword 'Smart Cities'.

Session 2 dealt with India’s real estate outlook on growth, sustainability, and economy.

From climate neutral cities, technology and transport to government initiatives and co-working spaces, stakeholders and industry stalwarts discussed the many opportunities and various challenges posed in the face of achieving the vision of building and developing India's smart cities as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the '100 Smart Cities Mission' in 2015. 
 
WION hosted the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event in Delhi on December 27, 2019.