The newly constructed Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly building will be entirely powered by solar energy, with renewable projects being implemented in phases to ensure the complex runs on 100 per cent green power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Assembly on Saturday, located on a 51-acre site behind Mahanadi Bhawan (Secretariat) in Naya Raipur, the upcoming capital of Chhattisgarh.

Spanning a total area of 622,000 sq ft, the building has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3.25 billion (Rs 325 crore).

Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh said the complex was designed in line with green building principles and will be gradually powered by solar installations. “We will be installing solar projects in phases, and soon the entire Assembly will operate on solar power,” he said.

Dr Singh added that the project emphasises sustainability and environmental preservation, with more than 23,000 saplings planted around the premises and a rainwater harvesting system included in the design.

The building has also been planned with future expansion in mind, ensuring flexibility as the state’s governance structure evolves.

Currently, the Chhattisgarh Assembly has 90 members, but the new facility is built to accommodate up to 200 legislators, with provisions for a proportional increase in ministerial chambers.

The main Assembly hall, covering 16,000 sq ft, offers seating for 200 members, while the gallery above accommodates 320 spectators, including media representatives, guests, and observers.

The first floor features a conference hall for 100 members across 2,400 sq ft, and the second floor houses a central hall of 3,200 sq ft with capacity for 200 attendees.

On the upper ground floor, the facility includes 24 ministerial rooms, two committee rooms, and a cabinet hall. The lower ground floor hosts medical dispensaries (Allopathic, Homeopathic, and Ayurvedic), a bank, post office, and canteen.

A modern auditorium with a seating capacity of 500 and parking for 850 vehicles have also been incorporated.

Initially, after Chhattisgarh’s formation on 1 November 2000, the Assembly functioned from a school hall, later moving to a central government research institute before now shifting to its purpose-built green campus.