Indus Valley Times

By Nalini Sahu

Bhubaneswar, Jan.12 : Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a Central Vista–inspired integrated campus that will house the new Odisha Legislative Assembly and Lok Seva Bhavan, marking a major step towards expanding the state’s legislative and administrative infrastructure.

Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony, Majhi said the strength of the Odisha Assembly could increase from the current 147 members to around 200 after the next delimitation exercise, driven by population growth and the need for wider representation.

“The present Assembly has 147 members, but this number is expected to rise in the future,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the new Assembly building has been planned to accommodate up to 300 legislators, keeping in view governance needs over the next five to ten decades.

Spread over 71.13 acres and developed under an approved master plan, the new complex will bring the Assembly and Lok Seva Bhavan—housing ministers and their secretariat—within a single integrated precinct, allowing for closer coordination and improved administrative efficiency. The architectural design draws from the Central Vista model, aimed at creating a modern governance hub.

Majhi said the project was envisioned to respond to future demographic expansion, enhanced democratic representation and the growing scale of government operations. “The integrated campus will significantly improve service delivery and institutional functioning,” he said.

Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan described the project as a long-standing vision of the Chief Minister, noting that the expansion of government departments and workforce had made a modern administrative complex imperative. He reiterated that the new Assembly would have seating capacity for 300 MLAs.

The state government has allocated Rs 3,623 crore for the project, which will include underground parking and contemporary support infrastructure. Once completed, the complex is expected to become a prominent institutional landmark, reflecting Odisha’s evolving administrative and political aspirations.