Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Sunday said that any state legislative building is not just a building but a temple for democracy. Speaking at the inauguration of the new building of Assam Legislative Assembly, Birla said, “The building of any State Legislative Assembly is not just a building. This is a temple for our democracy. Sitting in this temple, we work only for public welfare.” "The building of any State Legislative Assembly is not just a building. This is a temple for our democracy. Sitting in this temple, we work only for public welfare,” he added.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Rameshwar Teli, among others, along with Birla.
Spread across 10 acres of land, the new Assembly complex has the main building which will accommodate the House and annexe buildings for administrative and other sections, the officials said, as per a PTI report.
The foundation of the complex was laid over 10 years ago with an initial estimate of Rupees 234.84 crore but with delay in construction and introduction of new components to the complex, the revised estimate has been put at Rs 351 crore, they said.
The next sitting of the House, scheduled for September, will be held in the new building which would be paperless, they added.
The new House has a seating capacity of 180 lawmakers. The current strength of the Assembly is 126 MLAs. The Assembly was earlier functioning from an old tea warehouse, which was converted for the sittings when Dispur became the capital of Assam in 1972.