Niyamasabha

Niyamasabha Mandiram
നിയമസഭ
Niyamasabha is the seat of Kerala's Legislative assembly
General information
Type	Legislative building
Architectural style	Kerala Architecture
Location	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Country	India
Construction started	1979
Completed	1998
Cost	900 crore (US$182.52 million)
Height	200 feet (61 m)
Technical details
Floor count	5 + 1 basement
Floor area	802,453 square feet (74,550.3 m2)
Design and construction
Owner	Government of Kerala
Main contractor	KPWD

Niyamasabha Mandiram, located in Thiruvananthapuram, is the seat of Kerala State Legislative Assembly. Built in classical Kerala architecture, with strong influences of modern contemporary styles, it is a structure with grand staircase, gardens, water bodies and majestic Central Assembly Hall. Located in high security zone, the complex accommodates residence of Kerala Assembly speaker, legislature offices of all MLAs, offices of independent commissions and bodies. The assembly was opened in May 22, 1998, by President of India K. R. Narayanan.^[1]

History

Kerala Niyasabha was initially located in Secretariat Complex from December 12, 1933, during days of Kingdom of Travancore as Chambers of Sree Moolam State Council. Post independence, the assembly hall became seat of Kerala Legislature. However the space became a major constraint, especially in 1970s, when number of seats increased to 140. Moreover as part of opening assembly to public to see the assembly proceedings, often space crunch was reported in public galleries. It was considering all these facts, a new complex, dedicated for Assembly was concevied. In 1979, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, then-the Indian President laid foundation of new complex.^[2]

The site chosen was Government Estate at Palayam, in heart of Thiruvananthapuram city, which was once the grounds of headquarters of Travancore Nair Army Brigade. The old Army Headquarters was converted into Legislature museum.

Design

Interiors

The Niyamasabha has 5 stories including ground floor and one basement meant for private parking of official cars. Leading to the foyer in first floor, is a flight of stairs with 51 steps, more than 200 feet (61 m) wide.

The entire structure is a large square structure with four frontages and each frontage supported by 40 pillars. The Main entrance faces west, has grand door. The West frontage has large circular copper plate, with Seal of Kerala, inscribed on it. The foyer opens to Central Assembly Hall is majestically designed with ornate paneling in teak and rosewood. The Central hall is of 95 m height and has 8 carved galleries, accommodating 800 people and media box. The central hall has 140 seats set in an amphitheatre style with grand podium for the speaker and 3 sets of jury tables for executive staff. The background wall houses a large portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. The entire hall is electronic designed with hidden microphones and electronic voting systems.

There is a large veranda equally encircling the entire structure. On its east side, the complex is connected to Administrative complex through a corridor, which houses offices of all legislature and other independent commissions. The majestic dome is built in traditional Kerala Koothuambalam style.

The main complex houses the following offices, apart from Central Assembly Hall

The front entrance of Kerala Niyamasabha constructed in traditional Kerala Architecture

• The Chamber of Speaker
• The Office of Chief of House (Chief Minister)
• The Office of Opposition Leader
• The Office of Chief Curator
• The Office of Chief of Watch & Wards
• Media Room
• Press and Information Center
• Conference room

Apart from this, there is a large canteen and kitchen facility, located at ground floor and a large parking space at basement for 400 cars.

Exteriors

There are 2 large gardens, South Gardens houses memorials of several famous leaders and veteran legislators of past. The North Gardens has several water features.

Statues

The side view of Niyamasabha Complex

• A large statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located in front of Grand Staircase, in meditating pose
• A statue of Jawaharlal Nehru on right side of Grand Staircase
• A statue of Ambedkar on left side of Grand Staircase
• A bust of K R Narayanan at the lower entrance

Administrative Office

The 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m²) administrative office complex houses individual offices of each MLA, apart from few office spaces for semi-judicial and legislative commissions. The Office of Kerala Lokayuktha (a constitutional Anti-Corruption body governing over all public leaders and politicians on public offices) is located in the Administrative office complex.

LEGISLATURE LIBRARY

The Administrative Block is home of 120 year of Kerala Legislature Library, now having more than 95,000 titles and political reference books, original copies of various statutes and acts and other legal references, for the reference of MLAs and research scholars.The Library provide admission to Ex-Members and former officers of the legislature secretariat. The Library preserves the entire proceedings of the House since 1888 and taking steps to digitize the entire proceedings and making it available in the internet. The digitized version of the Proceedings from 1957 to 1982 are now available in the online. ^[3]

Training Center

The Illuminated Niyamasabha at night

The Niyamasabha Training Center (NCT) is located in the Administrative complex, which provides various short and long term courses for legislators of the state as well as from other states and nations. The training center conducts annual programs for all its legislators apart from special orientation programs for first time legislators. All state legislators are given primary training on various legal framework, important state and national statutes, constitution as well as computer training. Trainings are imparted on legislative skills and effective debating.^[4]

The Grand staircase of Kerala Niyamasabha with Gandhi Statue at its front

In addition regular training programs are conducted for government officials related to legislature, especially related to drafting various statues and acts of Niyamasabha. Media and press officials are also given training in effective reporting of Niyamasabha proceedings.

The Illuminated Kerala Niyamasabha

Apart from this, NCT is an authorized center for training legislators and officials of Maldives's People Majlis. In past interns from other Indian states, Sri Lanka, SAARC and Canada are trained in NCT. Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST), New Delhi and Institute of Management in Government, Kerala (IMG) have chosen NCT as center for their programs.

Legislature Museum

The Niyamasabha maintains 2 museums for promoting legislative awareness among public. The old Travancore Army headquarters, located inside Niyamasabha campus, is now converted into full fledged Legislature museum displaying various photos and other objects & artifacts that shows the growth of legislature in Kerala. The old assembly hall inside Secretariat Complex is converted in legislature museum where mock assemblies are conducted to train students about legislature process along with a photo gallery.

Security

From days of Monarchy, the state police are not allowed to enter into premises of state legislature. This is primarily because to maintain the independence of legislature from executive organs, which includes police department, as the latter is answerable to state government.

Due to this reason, the protection and security of the house is maintained by a specialized force, known as The Watch and Ward. The Watch and Ward comprises 220 watch wardens with 5 Chief Wardens, who direct reports to Niyamasabha Privileges Committee and the Speaker. The watch and ward are also responsible for maintaining sanity of Niyamasabha and empowered to arrest and remove any individual, including MLA, upon orders of speaker, on account of unacceptable behaviour or violation of assembly laws.

The house is under control of Legislature Secretary, who is also known as Chief Curator, responsible for passing executive orders on behalf of Speaker as well as exercising executive authority over legislature staff and premises. The Legislature Secretary has powers of executive magistrate and has a cabinet secretary ranking as per state protocols.

Other structures

The Niyamasabha campus has few other structures apart from main complex and museum.

• Neethi: The official residence of Speaker of Kerala Niyamasabha is located on the North side of the complex. As the Speaker has a rank of a cabinet minister, the residence has its own camp office and quarters for private staff of the Speaker. The security of the residence is vested with Niyamasabha Watch and Ward.

• Hanuman Temple, is a popular Hanuman temple, located inside Niyamasabha Campus, which was one of the official temples of Mounted Nair Calvary of Travancore Army.

• MLA Hostel : The Niyamasabha Secretariat maintains MLA Hostel located 400 meters away from Niyamasabha campus, for accommodation of all MLAs. MLA Hostel provides single and family room accommodation to all its members along with few guest rooms for visiting parliamentary guests. The MLA hostel has its own canteen run by Indian Coffee House and a business center.

References

1. ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/apr/23keral1.htm
2. ^ http://trivandrumdistrict.blogspot.com/2010/10/palayam.html
3. ^ http:// klaproceedings.niyamasabha.org
4. ^ http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/tra_aim.htm

External Links

[[[http://klaproceedings.niyamasabha.org

 klaproceedings.niyamasabha.org