The new parliament building will have a special gallery dedicated to workers engaged in its construction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday after inaugurating 'Kartavya Path' stretching from Rasthrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

"Workers working on the new Parliament building will get a place of honour in one of the galleries," he said. At the event, Modi also met a group of sixteen workers, who were engaged in the redevelopment of the entire stretch, and invited them along with their families as special guests on the 2023 Republic Day Parade.

"The Shramjeevis of Central Vista and their families will be my special guests on the next Republic Day Parade," the prime minister said. Modi expressed "special gratitude" to the workers not just for their physical contribution to the redevelopment of Kartavya Path but also for being a living and breathing example of "Kartavya" (duty) towards the nation.

Talking about his meeting with the workers, the prime minister praised them for carrying a dream for the nation’s glory in their hearts. Modi said that today there is a tradition of respect for Shram (labour) and Shramjeevi (workers) in the country, and with the emphasis on sensitivity in policies, there has now come a sensitivity in decisions, and ‘Shramev Jayate’ is becoming a mantra for the nation.

Speaking at the event, he recalled instances of his interactions with workers in Kashi Vishwanath Dham, INS Vikrant, and Prayagraj Kumbh. Infrastructure firm Tata Projects Ltd is constructing a new Parliament building as part of the Modi government's ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

The government plans to hold the Winter Session of Parliament in the new building. Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new building in December 2020. Last month, he unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the building.

The new Parliament building will have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation’s power corridor, also envisages a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, a new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.?

(With PTI Inputs)