CM Suvendu Adhikari proposes new Assembly building in Newtown, seeks land inspection

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced plans to construct a new Legislative Assembly building in Newtown and requested Speaker Rathindranath Basu to inspect the proposed site along with an all-party delegation. Speaking during the vote of thanks on the Budget Session in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the existing Assembly building would not be able to accommodate future requirements if delimitation and 33 percent reservation for women increase the strength of the House. He said 40 acres of land have already been allotted in Newtown for the project and assured that funding would not be an issue.

The Chief Minister asked the Speaker to conduct the inspection with officials from the Public Works Department and other construction agencies so that preliminary planning could begin immediately. He said the current Assembly has 294 seats, but the number could exceed 400 after delimitation and the implementation of women's reservation, making the existing chamber inadequate. Recalling the COVID-19 period, he noted that seating arrangements had to be extended to the gallery to maintain physical distancing.

According to the proposed plan, the 40-acre campus in Newtown will include the new Assembly building, residential accommodation for MLAs and the Assembly Secretariat. The Chief Minister said the new Assembly would be built to modern standards similar to the new Parliament building in New Delhi, while the existing Assembly building would be preserved as a heritage structure. He also spoke about upgrading the MLA hostel and the Assembly canteen, encouraged newly elected MLAs to make greater use of the Assembly library, and announced plans for a new website to provide information on legislators' attendance and performance.