SHILLONG, SEPT 10: Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma on Thursday said construction of the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang is moving ahead and he expects it to be ready for inauguration by mid-November.
Sangma said his visit to the site was personal, ahead of his 10-day Commonwealth Parliamentary tour.
“It was not a review meeting. I went for a personal visit to get first-hand knowledge of the progress since I will be away for over 10 days. I am quite satisfied, things are moving forward,” he said.
He said the official deadline for completion is October 31.
“We have given October 31 as the timeline. We hope it will be ready by mid-November for inauguration,” he said.
On funding for the second phase which includes infrastructure, ICT and security components, the Speaker said the Ministry of DoNER has changed its funding guidelines.
“The DoNER Minister could not sanction the second phase due to change in format and guidelines. They suggested we route the proposal through the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office for guidance on the appropriate department,” he said.
He admitted there has been cost escalation due to addition of IT, communication and security systems not included in the earlier detailed project report (DPR).
Asked if this was the final deadline, Sangma said, “Yes, this is the last deadline we are giving them. We are trying our best to finish within this calendar year.”
He added that efforts are on to hold the next Budget session in the new building.
