'Na Tala' building in Bhubaneswar to be demolished: Minister Prithviraj Harichandan

Bhubaneswar: The nine-storey 'Na Tala' building in Bhubaneswar, which houses directorates of several state government departments, will be demolished as it has been declared unsafe, Odisha Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said on Tuesday.

The Minister said the existing 'Na Tala' building, Sech Sadan and Rajiv Bhavan have all been identified as structurally unsafe. Due to safety concerns, these buildings will be taken down to make way for a new and modern administrative complex.

New Lok Seva Bhavan to come up in phases

According to Harichandan, the new Lok Seva Bhavan will be constructed in three phases. In the first phase, the main office building will be built near the existing Kharavela Bhavan. All government offices will function within a single campus.

He said the new Lok Seva Bhavan offices will be located near the ADM office at Power House Square and close to the OSEPA office.

Existing Assembly building to be preserved

The Minister clarified that the present Odisha Legislative Assembly building will not be demolished. Instead, it will be preserved as a heritage structure and converted into a museum. He added that if a Legislative Council is formed in the future, the existing Assembly building could also be used for that purpose.

New Assembly building planned for future needs

A new Assembly building with a seating capacity of 300 members will be constructed in the vacant space between Lok Seva Bhavan and the existing Assembly. This plan aligns with the state government’s long-term vision, as the number of MLAs is expected to increase after future delimitation.

Integrated campus with long-term vision

Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had said that the current strength of the Assembly may rise from 147 to nearly 200 in the coming years. Keeping this in mind, the new Assembly and Lok Seva Bhavan are being designed for expansion over the next 50 to 100 years.

The integrated complex will be built on over 71 acres of land, following a Central Vista-style design, with modern facilities including underground parking. The total project cost is estimated at over Rs 3,600 crore.