<p>The slow pace of construction at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, coupled with the approaching monsoon makes it unlikely that the State legislature can hold meetings there this year. <br /><br /></p>.<p>During a visit to the construction site in April, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah had offered a hopeful estimate of the project’s conclusion, saying that all construction would be wrapped up before July. He had also expressed hope that the building would be inaugurated by then, paving the way for legislature session to take place.<br /><br />The monsoon session of the legislature is scheduled to take place in the new building in the first week of July. Public Works Department (PWD) officials supervising the project were optimistic that all building and furniture works would be completed before the end of June. <br /><br />PWD Superintendent Engineer Vinayak Sogur told the Deccan Herald that the building could well be completed by June 15. The installation of furniture, chairs and microphones are currently in progress, according to him.<br /><br />Facing indifference<br /><br />Despite the optimism, there are signs that the Suvarna Soudha has suffered official indifference. Agriculture and District Incharge Minister Umesh Katti, who was appointed to review progress, has previously praised the building as being a model for governmental architecture in the State. But he has not visited the site once in the last two months and the political intrigue and turmoil in the ruling BJP has led to the project’s neglect by elected representatives.<br /><br />Once finished, the Assembly hall will have a seating capacity of 300. The council hall will be capable of holding 100 people. So far, 38 chambers have been readied for ministers and 14 meeting halls are ready for committees, Sogur said. An auditorium with a seating capacity of 450 is also in the last phase of completion, he added.<br /></p>
<p>The slow pace of construction at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, coupled with the approaching monsoon makes it unlikely that the State legislature can hold meetings there this year. <br /><br /></p>.<p>During a visit to the construction site in April, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah had offered a hopeful estimate of the project’s conclusion, saying that all construction would be wrapped up before July. He had also expressed hope that the building would be inaugurated by then, paving the way for legislature session to take place.<br /><br />The monsoon session of the legislature is scheduled to take place in the new building in the first week of July. Public Works Department (PWD) officials supervising the project were optimistic that all building and furniture works would be completed before the end of June. <br /><br />PWD Superintendent Engineer Vinayak Sogur told the Deccan Herald that the building could well be completed by June 15. The installation of furniture, chairs and microphones are currently in progress, according to him.<br /><br />Facing indifference<br /><br />Despite the optimism, there are signs that the Suvarna Soudha has suffered official indifference. Agriculture and District Incharge Minister Umesh Katti, who was appointed to review progress, has previously praised the building as being a model for governmental architecture in the State. But he has not visited the site once in the last two months and the political intrigue and turmoil in the ruling BJP has led to the project’s neglect by elected representatives.<br /><br />Once finished, the Assembly hall will have a seating capacity of 300. The council hall will be capable of holding 100 people. So far, 38 chambers have been readied for ministers and 14 meeting halls are ready for committees, Sogur said. An auditorium with a seating capacity of 450 is also in the last phase of completion, he added.<br /></p>
