Rahul Gandhi today hit out hard at the government for continuing with work on the ambitious Central Vista project at the time when the country is grappling with the deadly second wave of Covid which has killed thousands and crippled the healthcare system.
"Central Vista- not essential. Central Govt with a vision- essential," the top Congress leader tweeted.
Mr Gandhi, who on April 20 said he has tested positive for COVID-19, has repeatedly criticised the government's handling of the pandemic.
On Sunday, he asked the ruling BJP not to turn India "into a victim of its system" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He has squarely blamed the centre for the crisis of oxygen and medicine shortage.
The Wayanad MP had cancelled all his election rallies in West Bengal citing the Covid spiral and had urged others to do the same.
"The opposition wanted to use the money used in the Central Vista project to vaccinate more people. We could have bought more PPE kits, given direct transfers to migrant workers," Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien told NDTV.
The construction work for the Rs. 1,500 crore project has been brought under the ambit of "essential services", a move that has angered the opposition.
In Delhi, which is under a lockdown, construction work is permitted at construction sites where workers have been given on-site accommodation. But when NDTV did a spot check at the location, not many were found camping at the construction site.Most of the workers were found coming from Kirti Nagar - 16 km away - and adjoining areas.
The redevelopment project of Central Vista envisages a new triangular parliament building, a common central secretariat and revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.
Sources said the government is determined that preparations for India's 75th Independence Day must continue.
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