Nitish inaugurates annexe building of Bihar Legislature

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today inaugurated the new annexe building of state Legislature that comprises Assembly and Council, and the secretariat.
Inaugurating the building, Kumar said, "Unlike the existing building, the new building would help in mitigating the space crunch as it would provide separate chambers for ministers, chairmen of various committees and also rooms to hold meetings of the committees."
Besides, it would also provide better space in the lobbies meant for members of opposition and the ruling party, he said, adding that the building has been completed after overcoming various difficulties since 2010 when work started.
Stating that the upcoming week long winter session of the state legislature beginning on November 25, Kumar asked the Speaker, Council chairman and ministers to start using their new chambers.

Like the Central Hall of Parliament, which hosts joint sittings of upper and lower houses, the joint hall of the new building now host joint sittings of the Assembly and Council.
The new annexe building has a huge library which would be helpful for everyone - members, former members and research scholar, he said.

A banquet hall has also been constructed where a large feast can be organised for members, Kumar said adding that the canteen run by labour department in the legislature should have better catering services keeping in mind the size of the new building.
On the providing residential accommodation to the members, Kumar said new duplexes are being constructed.

The work would be completed in two years and alloted constituency wise to members in the third year, he said adding that old members would have to vacate the premises if new member is elected from the constituency.
The Chief Minister inspected the new building and saw the chambers meant for Chief Minister, Legislative Council Chairman, Legislative Assembly Speaker and Deputy CM Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary got the keys of his chamber from Kumar.
The foundation stone of the Rs 362 crore annexe building was laid in January 2010.
Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Council Chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shravan Kumar, Leader of Opposition in the Council Sushil Kumar Modi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Prem Kumar and other MLAs and MLCs were present on the occasion.