Central Vista project: Rajpath, India Gate to open to the public from July

The revamped lawns of Rajpath and India Gate, known as the Central Vista Avenue, will open to the public next month

The revamped lawns of Rajpath and India Gate, known as Central Vista Avenue, will open for the public next month, a news report said. The new Central Vista Avenue, a stretch from Vijay Chowk and India Gate that was closed for the redevelopment project, will open almost after 17 months. 

 

The visitors will be permitted to walk through the arch of the India Gate as the Amar Jawan Jyoti, the inverted rifle and soldier's 'war helmet' have been moved to the National War Memorial. 

 

The Times of India reported quoting sources that the revamped 3-km stretch of Central Vista Avenue will be inaugurated in the first week of July. After the inauguration, visitors will be allowed to walk across the stretch, including the lawns, using the earmarked walkways. There will be a strict vigil to ensure that the revamped lawns don't get damaged. 

 

The defence ministry wanted to allow visitors at India Gate and walk through the structure after the Amar Jawan Jyoti was shifted from there. However, it was not allowed as the redevelopment was still underway, TOI said in its report. 

 

"Once opened to the public, they can walk from Vijay Chowk to the canopy behind the India Gate. There used to be security at India Gate because of the Amar Jawan Jyoti and people were not allowed to come close," a source told TOI. 

 

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- India's power corridor -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a joint central secretariat, the revamping of the three-kilometre-long Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate, a new prime minister's residence, prime minister's new office, and a new vice-president's enclave. 

 

While the original deadline of the Central Vista project was November 2021, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) extended the deadlines for several reasons. The redevelopment project is expected to complete this month.