SHILLONG: Meghalaya Assembly appears to be on course to have its sitting in its own building ending nearly two decades of wait.
Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh on Wednesday hoped that the budget session of 2022 would be held at the new Assembly building being constructed in Mawdiangdiang.
Speaker who inspected the site on Wednesday with officials of the different line departments said that almost 50 per cent of the civil work of the building had been completed, adding that the Assembly building be ready for occupation by December, 2021.
The Rs 127-crore project is being implemented by UP based Public Sector understanding, Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd.
When asked about the fund requirements of the project, he said that the Chief Minister has assured that there will be no financial problems in funding of the project to ensure its early completion.
Lyngdoh admitted that progress of construction had suffered a lot due to shortage of labourers. However, reinforcement of labourers was possible after he spoke to the Political department.
In the second phase of the project, the government was also looking to transfer quarters of the Speaker and other facilities for the staff at the new site.
It may be recalled that the state lost its heritage Assembly building at Khyndailad in a major fire in 2001.
Since then, the Assembly has been functioning in makeshift accommodation. First it was at U Soso Tham hall and later it shifted to the Arts & Culture auditorium at the picturesque Brookside bungalow at Rilbong.