The New Assam Legislative Assembly building complex at Janata Bhawan, which had hit several road blocks since the laying of its foundation stone in 2008, is likely to be completed before the winter Assembly session next year.
The works of the Rs 234.84 crore complex over a sprawling 10 acre plot (45,534.96 square metres) was stalled citing fund crunch. The work was resumed after an order was passed by the incumbent Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami in May this year. The total floor area is 3,61,000 square metres.
The exterior works were tendered to a construction company named Simplex Structure, while the interior is being designed by JD Creations. The architect is Kolkata-based Dullal Mukherjee. Public Works department – Building is supervising the entire project.
According to the detailed project report, the complex will comprise four buildings – a two-storey Assembly building, a 15-storey Annexe I building, a three-storey Annexe II building and a one-storey sub-station building for transformers, generator, AC plant, etc.
The complex can be approached through the Janata Bhawan main gate at Dispur and through the Last Gate.
- The Main Assembly Hall
- Area of the Building: 18,459 square metres
- Structure: Pitched roof with Glass topping for lighting
- Number of Storeys: 2
- Basic structure: The first floor will have a seating capacity of 172 members of the Legislative Assembly, a 44 member seating capacity for the Upper House and a seating capacity of 44 members on the ground floor
- Facilities: Centrally air-conditioned with 7 lifts including one glass lift and an escalator
- Speciality: Dry cladding with natural stone. Natural stones such as granite, marble and limestone are being installed in the interior through mechanical installation method using embedded metal anchors and ties for the connection purpose. This will be first structure in northeast to implement this technology
- Building will be surrounded by a water body and have state-of-the-art lighting facility
- Annexe-I building
- Area: 8,056 square metres
- Structure: Rectangular multi-storeyed structure. Tallest building in the state.
- Number of storeys: 16-storeys (78 metres tall)
- Relevance of the structure: The building will have chambers for different committees of the Assam Legislative Assembly. Besides, it will also have a cafeteria, chambers of ministers, press lounge, etc
- Facilities: The building will be covered with aluminium louvres - a set of angled slats fixed or hung at regular intervals between the floors to allow air and light to pass through. High-speed lifts will be fitted. State-of-the-art fire-proofing and fire rescue arrangements are being installed
- Annexe-II building
- Area: 9,991 square metres
- Structure: Rectangular block with Auditorium
- Facilities: 600 capacity auditorium, banquets, a 250 capacity seminar hall, conference halls for both Lower House and Upper House
- Relevance of the structure: Secretariat Block comprising office establishments of Speaker, Principal Secretary, Joint and Additional Secretaries, PWD offices
- Other features:
- The one storey substation over 2,000 square metres will include transformers, generator, AC plant, etc for the other three buildings. The AC system will be state-of-the-art heating, ventilating air-conditioning (HVAC) System
- A multilevel car parking block
- The campus is deemed to be a Green project; the illumination system attached will include automatic energy saving devices, drainage system for external water, sewerage and storm water, sewage treatment plant and bio-toilets
- Advanced audio visual system will be fitted in the assembly hall, auditorium, committee rooms, seminar halls and banquets along with acoustic screening, ICT/telecommunications
- Dual plumbing features for both cold and hot water in all the water points will be fitted
- Integrated Building Management with CCTV and advanced security systems.
- The complex will also have a ceremonial ground, service blocks, security offices, main entry gate from the GS Road, VVIP entry, service roads, driveway and pavement.
Dulal Mukherjee, Architect: “Almost 85% of the exterior works have been completed. Only some finishing works such as plastering and aluminium louver installation is left. However, of the interior works, only 25% has been completed.”
MK Deka, Principal Secretary of Assam Legislative Assembly: “The current Assembly was actually made on a temporary basis when the Assam capital was shifted from Shillong to Guwahati temporarily in September 1972. The current structure used to be a warehouse before that. The state made a few interior changes and made it usable. In 1997, Dispur became the capital permanently, and since then the need to have a separate and proper Assembly building was felt.”
Aminul Islam, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislator: “The state government should come clean on how much extra costs were incurred for the delay in the construction. It no doubt will be a magnificent structure, but the amount of money pumped in does not justify.”
Debabrata Saikia, leader of oppositions in the Legislative Assembly: “Another ploy of the incumbent government to steal credit for something the Congress had started. More than half of the work was completed during our tenure.”
