Parliament Room 50 Fire: The blaze had started from a computer UPS, said officials.
A fire broke out at the Parliament House this evening a day before the presentation of the Union budget. It was brought under control quickly and there was no casualty, sources said. The room number 50, from where smoke was seen around 9.30 pm, houses the Control Room of the Lok Sabha television. While the extent of the damage is not known, there are concerns about the telecast of the all-important Union budget, which will be presented tomorrow by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Officials are currently assessing the damage.
The Lok Sabha Television is the official channel which telecasts the events in parliament. The fire started in the UPS of a computer, news agency Press Trust of India quoted Delhi's Chief fire officer Atul Garg as saying. The fire, he added, was doused within 15 minutes.
The control room is located two rooms away from where a Cabinet meeting will be held tomorrow before the budget is presented. This year, the rail budget has been merged with the Union budget, breaking a 92-year-old tradition.
Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the Parliament House is 89 years old. The Central Legislative Assembly, as it was called, was inaugurated in 1927.