Lt governor K Kailashnathan approves Rs 576 crore complex in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: Lieutenant governor K Kailashnathan has approved the construction of a new integrated legislative assembly cum secretariat complex at a cost of Rs 576 crore at a 15-acre site in Puducherry, said Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory, R Selvam.

On Saturday, Selvam said the lieutenant governor has signed the file and sent it to the Union Home Ministry for final approval. The Speaker said the Puducherry govt will issue tenders and commence the project once it receives the nod from the Union Home Ministry. The complex will come up at a 15-acre site at Thattanchavadi Integrated Market Committee in the town limits, he said.

The new complex will have a spacious hall to hold sessions of the house, offices for six ministers, the council of ministers, 27 MLAs and recognised political parties and an administrative section, besides a cabinet hall, conference hall, and committee room, among others.

Selvam thanked the lieutenant governor for approving the project, which was kept on hold by the previous lieutenant governor, Tamilisai Soundararajan citing several reasons.

Presently, the legislative assembly and chief secretariat are functioning in separate buildings within the erstwhile white town premises. Moreover, the legislative assembly has been functioning since 1969 in a heritage building, which is more than 150 years old. The French constructed the building to house a medical college. The building does not have adequate facilities to meet the growing needs of the administration.

The building is part of a public square where other important heritage structures like Raj Nivas, French Consulate, and Chamber of Commerce are located. The govt felt the erstwhile white town quarters had become highly congested due to the presence of the legislative assembly and other administrative offices and decided to shift the assembly and chief secretariat outside erstwhile white town limits.