GUWAHATI: The Assam Legislative Assembly finally got a new address on July 30, 2023, but this raised a few questions as the building was also “inaugurated” two years ago.
Are there some “differences” between present Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal? Many believe it is a show of strength.
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Two years after what Sonowal had done as Chief Minister of the state, incumbent Chief Minister Himanta repeated the same.
This came to light after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla dedicated the new Assembly Building to the people in the presence of Chief Minister Sarma, Speaker Biswajit Daimary, and Union Ministers Sonowal and Rameswar Teli in Dispur on Sunday, raising the eyebrows of many political parties, organizations, and individuals across the state.
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The new Assembly Building was inaugurated by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla on Sunday, July 30. However, it was also “inaugurated” by the then Chief Minister, Sarbanda Sonowal on February 12, 2021.
The construction of the building was awarded to a Mumbai-based contractor group, but it was halted by the Gauhati High Court following a lawsuit filed by the lowest bidder of the tender.
The bidder group later withdrew the case after the authorities assured the court that the contract would be awarded to the lowest bidder.
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Finally, the construction work began, and the building was still under construction when it was inaugurated on February 12, 2021.
“I thought it would take a long time to complete the building, but we could at least use the assembly hall for the session,” said former Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami.
“I did not allow a full session of the house in the hall because there was still a lot of work to be done. But we held a one-day session of the last budget session before we went for assembly polls”, Goswami recalled.
“Now the building is complete. They have renovated it and added new facilities there. But I think the date of February 12, 2021, should be mentioned there to avoid all controversies,” Goswami added.
In the session, Sonowal recalled the “sweet and sour” memories of the past five years and thanked the members for all their guidance and suggestions.
The new building has four interconnected buildings and several other advanced facilities.
The complex, which is located on a 10-acre plot with a floor area of 361,000 square feet, is being constructed for Rs 235 crore. Sonowal also released a coffee table book on the new assembly hall on the occasion.
Two years later, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the same building on Sunday (July 30).
However, nowhere was it mentioned that the hall had been used earlier and had witnessed a one-day session on February 12, 2021.
Recalling the day, Sonowal admitted that the last day of the budget session was held in the hall on February 12, 2021.
When contacted, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, admitted that the new building (which was under construction) was inaugurated on February 12, 2021.