J&K Assembly complex set for completion next year
A multi-floor under-construction building of the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly complex is slated for completion by the end of next year, more than 16 years after the foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu.
The construction work on the project, which started in August 2011, is likely to be over by October 2027.
In the last 15 years, three Chief Ministers, two governors, and two Lieutenant Governors failed to expedite the completion of the project, exposing the ‘work culture’ in the region.
On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary inspected the ongoing construction work and expressed hope that the project would be completed by October next year.
“If all goes as planned, the 2028 Budget Session is expected to be held in the new Assembly complex. We will ensure that it is completed within the fixed deadline of October 2027,” Choudhary told reporters during the inspection visit.
According to the project engineers, the main Assembly Hall will have a seating capacity of 130 members, which can be expanded to 142 if required.
They said the multi-story complex will be equipped with a modern firefighting/alarm system, lifts, digital lighting control system, FACADE lighting, the most advanced electromechanical and sound system, LAN, CCTV, PAVA, AV system and solar lights, besides rainwater harvesting and treatment systems.” The complex will also have four galleries with a combined capacity of 400 persons. The two media galleries will accommodate 150 media persons, while the Guest Gallery and the Speaker’s Gallery will have a seating capacity of 35 persons each”.
Speaking to reporters during the visit, Choudhary said the project had remained stalled for the past seven to eight years with no significant progress.
“The Government has restarted the work with clear directions to complete it at the earliest.
Both the speaker and the chief minister have taken a personal interest in the project, with the chief minister having recently conducted an inspection and review,” he said.
The deputy chief minister described the existing Assembly building as a heritage site that has become congested and uncomfortable for modern requirements. The new complex will provide a technologically advanced environment for legislators, he added.
The unavailability of the funds delayed the project’s completion and added to the cost escalation. The original cost of the project, initially pegged at around 110 crores, has already exceeded 200 crores.
