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| The Meghalaya Assembly building up in flames in Shillong. File picture |
Shillong, Jan. 11 : Years after the Meghalaya Assembly heritage building was gutted on January 9, 2001, a new Assembly building is yet to be constructed.
The construction was delayed because successive Speakers of the Assembly repeatedly changed the site of the building.
In the absence of a permanent building, the Assembly is functioning at the Art and Culture building at Rilbong.
Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope said efforts were on to expedite the construction and that designs for the building had been solicited from experts.
He admitted that there had been an undue delay in the construction in the past.
The high-powered committee of the state Assembly had approved the construction of the building at Taraghar, opposite the picturesque Ward’s Lake in June last year, with the cabinet’s approval.
The six-acre plot at Taraghar acted as the official residential area of the state’s chief ministers.
Former chief minister J.D. Rymbai is currently residing at Taraghar.
Prior to the decision to construct the building at Taraghar, Bindo Lanong, who was the Assembly Speaker under the erstwhile Meghayala Progressive Alliance government in July 2008, decided to construct the Assembly at the old site at Police Bazar.
The then Meghalaya Speaker E.D. Marak had also decided to construct the Assembly on the old site, after consulting the high-powered committee.
In 2002, the contract for the construction was allotted to one C. Pala, without calling a tender.
The construction of the building could not continue, as there were objections from certain quarters after the work was allotted without calling a tender.
After the Congress-led coalition government came into power in 2003, there were several attempts to find another site.
After three years, the then Speaker M.M. Danggo decided to construct the Assembly building in Upper Shillong with the approval of the committee. Governor M.M. Jacob laid the foundation stone for the Assembly building in Upper Shillong in 2007.
Former legislator P.M. Syiem recently petitioned President Pratibha Patil, seeking her intervention to construct the Assembly in Upper Shillong.
Syiem is the former MLA from Mylliem, which also forms part of Upper Shillong.
Opposition leader Conrad Sangma said it was a matter of great concern that the legislators could not construct their own House even after nine years.
“If we cannot construct our own House, what will be the fate of other government constructions?” Sangma asked.
He, however, hoped that the Speaker, who assumed office last year, would be able to push through the pending matter.