Faced with spiralling construction costs and rising imports due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, government think tank NITI Aayog is learnt to have advised the Centre to halt all major construction works across the country for two years, including the demolition and reconstruction of the Nirman Bhavan, Udyog Bhavan and Shastri Bhavan ministerial complexes.The recommendation, according to highly placed sources, was made by NITI Aayog to the Union ministries concerned, pointing out that owing to cost escalation, rising imports and supply chain disruptions affecting the availability of raw material, all large-scale construction activity should be paused for two years.The suggested duration for suspension of construction and demolition work indicates the gravity of the situation arising from the Iran war.Incidentally, the recommendation was made prior to the appointment of NITI Aayog’s new Vice-Chairman Ashok Lahiri and an entirely new team of full-time members.The think tank’s recommendation came just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 10, appealed to citizens to curb fuel consumption, revive work-from-home practices, pause gold purchases and reduce overseas travel in view of surging global energy prices amid the continuing crisis in West Asia.Meanwhile, sources said the demolition work at the Nirman Bhavan complex, which houses the Union Urban Affairs and Health Ministries, had been halted.Apart from this, initial preparations for demolition of the neighbouring Udyog Bhavan, which houses the MSME, Steel and Commerce Ministries, that had begun last month after the entire compound was barricaded, may now also be halted following NITI Aayog’s recommendation.Following these developments, the proposed demolition of Shastri Bhavan, which houses the largest number of Union ministries, including the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, and the adjoining Krishi Bhavan complex, home to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Food Ministries, has also been put on hold, the sources told The Tribune.They said heavy-duty construction and demolition projects of this scale required high-end machinery, gas cutters, crushers, cranes, large quantities of building material and, most importantly, high fuel consumption.Considering that energy supplies have been impacted due to restricted movement of shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, suspension of such heavy-duty construction and demolition activity is learnt to have been suggested as part of austerity measures.