Dibrugarh: Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Ranjit Dass on Monday visited the construction site of the proposed new Assam Legislative Assembly complex at Khanikar in Dibrugarh and reviewed the master plan for the ambitious project, which forms a key part of the state’s proposed second capital.
During the inspection, the Speaker said the proposed Assembly building is being designed with a seating capacity of 200 members, keeping in view the possibility of an increase in the number of Assembly constituencies in Assam in the future.
At present, the Assam Legislative Assembly has 126 elected members.
The Assam government has already approved the establishment of the state’s second capital in Dibrugarh and sanctioned around Rs 284 crore for the construction of the new Assembly complex.
Accompanied by State Capital Region Development Authority Chairman and Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan, District Commissioner Bikram Kairi, senior government officials and engineers from the Public Works Department, Dass reviewed the architectural plans and overall project design.
The Speaker also said the initial proposal for 126 legislators’ residences is being revised, with a recommendation to increase the number to around 175 to meet future requirements.
Emphasising the importance of preserving local identity, Dass said the Assembly complex will be developed in harmony with Dibrugarh’s heritage, culture and architectural traditions.
The project will also include dedicated spaces to honour eminent personalities from Dibrugarh while serving as a major tourist attraction in addition to functioning as the state’s legislative centre.
Expressing confidence in the timely execution of the project, Dass said he hopes that, within the next three years, during the tenure of the present 16th Assam Legislative Assembly, one session of the Assembly will be held at the new complex in Dibrugarh, marking a historic milestone in the city’s emergence as Assam’s second capital.