Karnataka stamps authority on Belgaum

It was a memorable day for Karnataka on Thursday as the shiny new Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee at Halga-Bastawad on the Pune-Bangalore National Highway, 15 km from Belgaum.

Over 25,000 people witnessed the event.

Speaking on the occasion, President Pranab said the building, the second such in the state, should help take the administration closer to the people of North Karnataka and help enhance the quality of their life.

The Suvarna Vidhana Soudha should help in socio-economic growth of the region and remove regional disparities.

In a functional democracy, people's participation is most important and the objective of constructing the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha will be fulfilled when the administration functioning from the building meets aspirations of the people, Mukherjee said

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He hailed the contribution of Belgaum to the Freedom Struggle and said it had historical importance. It was in Belgaum that Lokmanya Tilak made his famous statement: 'Freedom is my birth right...' during the launch of The Home Rule Movement and it was at Belgaum that Mahatma Gandhi presided over the Indian National Congress meet, Mukherjee recalled. He also hailed the contribution of the district to cultural, economic and social fields.

Governor H R Bharadwaj said, North Karnataka was facing several problems and the administration had done a good thing by constructing the soudha at Belgaum in North Karnataka so that problems could be addressed locally.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said, the inauguration of the building had heralded in a new era for Karnataka and the soudha would host winter sessions. Besides, it will be the venue for conferences, seminars and discussions aimed at improving infrastructure and quality of life of the people of North Karnataka.

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Assembly Speaker Bopaiah explained the objectives behind constructing the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

"All facilities available in the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore have been made available in SVS, the only difference being that SVS has a Central Hall," said Bopaiah. The words 'Work is Worship' (kayakave kailasa) by 12th Century poet Basavanna will be inscribed on the facade of SVS, said Bopaiah.

It has been constructed to reiterate Karnataka's control over Belgaum in the inter-state struggle with Maharashtra.

The imposing building is a three-floored structure spread over 16,138 sq m and consists of an Assembly hall that seats 300, a council hall for 100 members, a 450-seat auditorium, 38 ministerial chambers and 14 meeting halls.

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The entire complex has come up on 127 acres of land that was acquired from farmers in the area. The Lion Capital of Ashoka atop the main dome of the building measures 3.68 metres by 2.11 metres and weighing 6.5 tonnes and was created by the V T N Creative Art Studio in Bengaluru.

The original budget for the Suvarna Soudha was Rs 230 crore. The Pune-based B G Shirke Construction Technology Pvt Ltd were given the contract to construct the building.

By August 2012, the cost of the building alone had reached Rs 391 crore with estimates suggesting a final bill of nearly Rs 500 crore on its completion. The Suvarna Vidhana Soudha has been so named to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Karnataka's formation day.