GUWAHATI: A historic occasion was marked in the annals of Assam’s history on Sunday when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the new Assam Legislative Assembly building at Dispur in Guwahati.
The occasion was made more momentous by the fact that it is after half a century that Assam has witnessed the inauguration of its new permanent assembly building. The people of Assam can now take pride in having a modern, state-of-the-art Assembly complex from which the political business of the state will be done.
Earlier, the Assembly used to operate from a converted tea warehouse after the capital of Assam was shifted from Shillong to Dispur in 1972. It is now in 2023 that the new Assembly building, which has been under construction from the days of the Congress govt, was finally dedicated to the service of the state.
The inaugural event of the new permanent Assam Assembly building was graced by the presence of Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Rameshwar Teli, among other dignitaries.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter, now renamed as X, to stream the event live, with a one-liner saying, “Live: Attending inauguration program of New Building of Assam Legislative Assembly, Dispur.”
The spanking new building, with a distinctive dome on top which incorporates elements of Assam-type style of architecture, is a sight to behold. The new complex spans an area of 10 acres. It houses the main building, accommodating the House where representatives of the people will carry out important legislative functions like passing of new Bills into Acts for better administration and development of the state. The building also houses annexes for administration functions as well as staff.
The lengthy construction process faced numerous delays and incorporated components that were added later, leading to an upward revision of the cost estimate to Rs 351 crore, which is a considerable increase from the initial outlay of Rs 234.84 crore.
To cap the achievements, the state-of-the-art complex has the means to function as a paperless Assembly. The upcoming session of the House, which is scheduled to be held in September, will now be conducted in the new building. There is a seating capacity for 180 people, which can easily accommodate the current strength of 129 MLAs.
The modern new assembly building is also outfitted with cutting-edge technology, making it a symbol of modernity and progress. It should be noted that preparations are on to implement e-Vidhan technology shortly after the inauguration. This technical advancement is expected to considerably speed up legislative proceedings and entail a more efficient and transparent governing structure.
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