Work on Sabha's integrity complex begins

DIBRUGARH, March 21: Preliminary work on the ambitious integrity complex (sanhati bhavan) of the Asam Sahitya Sabha has commenced with the construction committee getting shape at a meeting of the Sabha which was held here on Monday. The idea to have such a complex in the city was mooted last year, and was taken up as a permanent project of the 66th session of the Sabha, which was held here last month. As part of the project, the old Saharia Town Hall would be thoroughly renovated to transform it into a hi-tech auditorium. Side by side, another building would come up, to house the country's first museum on ethnic culture. A part of the project cost is being borne by Manmohan Singh, who has set aside Rs 10 lakh from his MP's Local Area Development Fund for the same. This amount has already been deposited with the DC of Dibrugarh. Monday's preparatory meeting was chaired by the president of the Sabha, Homen Borgohain. The Integrity Complex will be maintained by a Trust, which will have the president and general secretary of the Sabha as the ex-officio members among others. The local PWD building executive engineer has been entrusted with the job of finalising the blueprint for the job. According to Nagen Saikia, the auditorium will be ready for commissioning on January 1, 2002, with the celebration of Arunudoi Divas as the first function there. The local tea planting Saharia family has donated the Town Hall to the Sabha for the project. The gift deed to effect this was ceremoniously handed over to the literary organisation on February 11 this year.