Om Birla to inaugurate new Assam Assembly building

Guwahati, Jul 30 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly on Sunday.

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.

Besides Birla, Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Rameshwar Teli, among others, will be present at the inauguration.

The new Assembly complex is spread across 10 acres of land and has the main building, which will accommodate the House and annexe buildings for administrative and other sections, the officials said.

The foundation for the new complex was laid over 10 years ago with an initial estimate of Rs 234.84 crore. With the delay in construction and introduction of new components to the complex, the revised estimate has been put at Rs 351 crore, they said.

It will be a paperless one and the next sitting of the House, scheduled for September, will be held in the new building, they said.

The new House has a seating capacity of 180 lawmakers. The current strength of the Assembly is 129 MLAs.