Bhubaneswar: Marking a major push towards modern governance and urban infrastructure, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday laid the foundation stones for three key projects in the state capital—a new Secretariat building ‘Lokseva Bhawan’, a new Odisha Legislative Assembly building, and an elevated road corridor connecting Jayadev Vihar with Nandankanan. The foundation-laying ceremony was held during the observance of National Road Safety Month.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said Odisha requires a modern Legislative Assembly building capable of meeting the state’s needs for the next five decades. Drawing a comparison with the recently constructed Parliament complex under Delhi’s Central Vista project, he said the proposed Assembly building has been planned keeping in view future requirements and institutional growth.
Majhi noted that the strength of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, currently at 147 members, is likely to increase by around 50 following the forthcoming delimitation exercise. Accordingly, the new Assembly building will have an initial seating capacity of about 200 MLAs, with provisions to further expand up to 300 members over the next 50 years. The new structure will be developed as part of an integrated campus, while the existing Assembly building will continue to function until the completion of the new one.
The Chief Minister also announced the construction of a new Secretariat building, Lokseva Bhawan, citing safety and functional concerns with the existing structure. He said the current Secretariat building has become inadequate for modern administrative needs, with ageing electrical systems, water pipelines and other infrastructure posing serious safety risks, including potential fire hazards.
The proposed Lokseva Bhawan will be a state-of-the-art, technology-enabled administrative complex designed to ensure safety, efficiency and sustainability. Majhi said the new Legislative Assembly and Secretariat buildings will come up on a single integrated campus spread over 71.13 acres, with a total investment of ₹3,623 crore, and will be equipped with advanced facilities and modern amenities.
On the same occasion, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for an elevated corridor between Jayadev Vihar and Nandankanan at an estimated cost of ₹952 crore. Highlighting Bhubaneswar’s growing traffic congestion, he said the Nandankanan–Jayadev Vihar stretch is one of the busiest and most congested corridors in the city.
To address the issue, the government has planned a modern, well-designed flyover with integrated traffic management solutions. The project, conceived on metropolitan planning lines, will ensure smooth vehicular movement on the elevated corridor while improving junction management at ground level. The Chief Minister informed that the Detailed Project Report has been completed and the project has already received formal approval.