Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the new Assembly building to be built at Kute village, some 15 km from the State capital, amid protests by locals.
The displaced villagers along with Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay staged a dharna along with Hatia MlA Naveen Jaiswal, former Deputy Mayor Ajay Nath Shahdeo and other social activists demanding shifting the core capital outside the Ring Road and returning the land to the original raiyyats for their living.
Soren, however, calling the day as historic in terms of fulfilling the aspiration of the people of Jharkhand, assured the villagers that the government has taken the issue of the displaced persons seriously as no construction would take place without winning the trust of the people. “I have told them that Assembly building will also be raised on a foundation of trust where even those opposing outside will sit into it someday,” Soren said.
The Chief Minister said that he will make all efforts to bring smile on the faces of displaced persons by the time construction work for the Assembly building gets completed.
Speaker Shashank Shekher Bhokta, calling the moment as one of the greatest achievements for the government, said that it was his dream that the State will have its own Assembly building. “Thanks to the Hemant Soren government they are making the dream come true” said Bhokta.
The foundation laying programme took place under tight security where no unwanted person was allowed to go beyond a certain limit. Hundreds of villagers were sitting on dharna near the site to protest construction work being done on the land acquired from their forefathers for some other purposes.
Earlier on Monday evening, the Chief Minister held a meeting with some of the representatives of the displaced persons and said to have given in writing that no construction work will take place till the final decision on their demands taken on February 10.
“Yesterday, the Secretary of Building Construction Department gave us in writing that no construction work will take place before the decision is taken by the government on the demands placed by the villagers,” said former member of State Commission for Women and activist Vasvi Kiro. Next meeting is scheduled on February 10, she added.
The three-storied Assembly building will be built up in around 39 acres of land having an octagonal shape with a built up area of 3 lakh square feet. Ground floor, built up in 93000 square feet area will consist of VIP lobby, supporting offices, canteen, press room, security barrack and other places while the first floor to be built up in 114000 square feet will have Assembly hall with a sitting capacity of 120 legislators, central lounge, Speaker’s Chamber, his office as well as the chambers of secretaries and other officials.
The villagers basically have placed three demands before the government -- to leave the villages in the present condition. Secondly, 25 per cent of their lands should be left with the villagers to make living and lastly, 30 per cent of the job openings out of the construction and establishment of government offices should be secured for displaced villagers.
The second floor built up in 93,000 square feet will have library, media lounge as well as chambers for ministers and committees.