Shillong, October 13: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma on Tuesday expressed optimism that the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang will be completed by the end of this year, even as experts from IIT Guwahati have identified minor issues requiring corrective measures.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said a team of professors from IIT Guwahati recently inspected the construction site and made certain observations, which are already being addressed. “Recently, for your information, the Guwahati IIT professors have come, they have inspected and they made certain observations which are very minor and the necessary corrections are already being made,” he said.
The Speaker informed that a safety audit is being conducted simultaneously with the ongoing construction work, particularly before the installation of the ceiling, which would make certain interior sections inaccessible for inspection. He said both the left and right wings of the Assembly building have been completed, while work remains on the main hall, dome and intricately designed ceiling featuring cultural elements.
Sangma maintained that construction is progressing according to schedule despite unforeseen challenges that had delayed the project. “It is progressing and it is on schedule but certain unforeseen things happened. We are hoping it will be completed within this calendar year,” he said. He attributed the major delay to the collapse of the earlier dome, which necessitated a fresh design and approval from IIT experts before construction could resume.
The Speaker further clarified that there has been no cost escalation in the project so far. Emphasising the importance of construction safety, Sangma expressed hope that no further untoward incidents would occur during the remaining work. “I hope nothing like that happens at least in my time. Safety is very important,” he said.
Regarding the second phase of the Assembly project, Sangma informed that proposals have already been submitted to the Central government and that the response received so far has been positive.
