Construction of new Assembly building
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The new High Powered Committee (HPC) will appoint a search committee to find a suitable site for the construction of the new Assembly building.
The resolution of the Assembly adopted recently empowered the HPC to select a site for the construction of the new Assembly.
The search committee to be appointed is likely to end up suggesting the same sites which were earlier recommended by the previous search and high powered committees.
According to a member of the HPC, several members present during the first meeting of Committee had suggested Mawdiangdiang as the site for the new Assembly.
It may be mentioned that the same Congress-led Government had in 2004 suggested the need to construct the Assembly at Mawdiangdiang. However, a resolution was passed against the same there as many Congress legislators were against former Chief
Minister DD Lapang in view of the move.
Official sources said that the site allotted in 2004 is no longer available and the new land at Mawdiangdiang will have to be identified by the search committee, which is yet to be formed.
The selection, possession of land and construction is likely to take longer time considering the past indecisive nature of those at the helm of affairs.
After the heritage Assembly at Khyndailad was gutted by fire on January 9, 2001, the Government wasted more than 12 years, as formation of new HPCs, search committees, selection of varied sites and foundation stone laying were the only features over the years.
Even if a new site is selected, fund constraints will be a major factor which may delay the construction of the new Assembly.
When the previous Congress led Government selected Tara Ghar as the new site, the Government had estimated over Rs 100 crore for the construction of the new Assembly awaiting sanction from the Centre, but in vain.
There are suggestions from several quarters to have the Assembly permanently at the Art and Culture building at Rilbong with some modifications whereby the Government need not spend crores of rupees for the construction of the new Assembly.
Moreover, if a new Assembly is constructed elsewhere, the Government will have to spend several lakhs of rupees again for the additional renovation works of the Art and Culture building at Rilbong.
There are others who observe that since the foundation stone for the construction of new Assembly was laid at Upper Shillong in 2006, that area or some other adjoining sites can be utilized for the construction.
Change of Assembly sites
ED Marak ( March 2001):
Khyndailad
Martin Danggo (August 2006): Upper Shillong
Bindo Lanong ( Nov, 2008):
Khyndailad
Charles Pyngrope ( May 2010) : Tara Ghar
AT Mondal (April ,2013):
HPC to select new site