The prestigious Goa State Legislative Assembly Complex at Porvorim, Bardez Goa is inaugurated at the hands of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee on March 5, 2000, in the distinguished presence of His Excellency the Governor of Goa Shri Mohd. Fazal, Hon'ble Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Shri. Pratapsingh Raoji Rane, Hon 'ble Chief Minister Shri. Francisco Sardinha, Hon'ble Deputy Speaker Shri. Ulhas Asnodkar and Hon'ble Leader of Opposition Shri. Ravi S. Naik.

This is the biggest ever building complex of the Government of Goa.

The Complex has qualities of past association, historical continuity and tradition of Goa.

Though Goa is relatively a young state in the Indian' Union, it has a very distinctive and special heritage of Portuguese and Goan traditions specially in its churches, temples, public buildings and domestic architecture. In the design of this prestigious building the rich tradition of Goa has been intermingled with the external influence to make it on an integral part of the contemporary Indian built tradition.

In the broadest sense, this Assembly Building is not merely the house of power and the symbolic place where peoples' representatives discuss and decide the well being of the state but, it is also the house of people to reinforce the relationship of the population with its representatives.

Whilst the rest of the Country saw democracy in action with the dawn of Independence on 15 August 1947 and its consolidation with the proclamation of the sovereign and democratic Republic of India on 26 January, 1950, the people of Goa were still not liberated. The prolonged Goan freedom struggle, which culminated in the liberation of Goa on 19 December, 1961, saw the end of colonial domination and its replacement by a democratic set- up as an integral part of India. It marked a watershed in the socio-political history of Goa.

In the wake off liberation, democratic institutions were set up in the territory in the place of foreign dictatorial norms and rules. People were for the first time in their long and chequered history, provided an opportunity for direct participation in Government in which they have a vital stake and making them masters of their destiny.

On passing of the Constitution (Twelfth Amendment) Act, 1962 by the Union Parliament on 20th June 1962, the territory of Goa, Daman and Diu was conferred the status of a Union Territory with retrospective effect from 20 December, 1961. The Government of Union Territory Act, 1963 came into force on 13 May, 1963. This Act was amended in 1971, which gave additional powers to the Administrator to assent to Bills, issue ordinances etc. in certain cases. The District of Goa of then existing Union Territory was formed into a new State known as the State of Goa on 30th May 1987.

The Legislature of Goa is unicameral. As per Section 32 of the Government of Union Territory Act, 1963 (Act 20 of 1963), the total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu was 30 and as per sub-section (3), the - Union Government could nominate 3 persons in the Assembly. On 9th January, 1964, for the first time the members of the First Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, met to transact the business. This day is being celebrated as Legislatures Day since some years. During the term 1967- 1972 (Second Assembly), two Members (one from Scheduled Caste and one from Scheduled Tribe) were nominated by the Central Government and thereafter, in the year 1985 (Sixth Assembly), three lady members were nominated to make the total strength of 33. Consequent on granting the Statehood to Goa, territories Daman and  Diu were de-Inked and the strength of the Goa Assembly was reduced to 31 because the Members from Daman and Diu ceased to be the members of Goa Assembly. As per Section 12 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganization Act, 1987, the total number of seats in the Goa Legislative Assembly is 40.

The First Session of provisional Legislative Assembly of Goa commenced on 2nd July 1987 and 30 Members including 3 nominated Members were administered oath on that day. The tenure of the provisional Legislative Assembly ended on dissolution on 28th November, 1989. The First Assembly of the Goa State started its tenure from 22-1-1990 and till it dissolved on 15-12-1994. The Second Legislative Assembly was constituted on 13-1-1995 and dissolved on 10-2-1999. The present Third Legislative Assembly of the Goa State was constituted on 14-6-1999.

The Goa State Assembly has been functioning in age old Secretariat building (Adil Shah's Palace), along with Civil Secretariat, which has been showing the signs of aging and there was no adequate accommodation for the committee meetings. Thereby it needed to house the Assembly in a permanent building with congenial working environment to transact the business of the Assembly more effectively. Moreover, the Legislature is pre-eminent and supreme. It is an assemblage of the elected persons with a democratic spirit with historical continuity and tradition. Therefore, it was but natural that it must have its own exclusive building which inspires these attributes in the minds of the citizens.

The Government therefore located and selected a site on hillock plateau over looking Mandovi River along the National Highway No. 17 at Porvorim in the Village of Penha- de-France in Bardez Taluka for the project and the plot admeasuring 54,250 sq.m of land at a cost of Rs. 1 Crore 15 Lakhs. The foundation stone of the project was laid on 22nd January, 1994 by Late Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma, President of India.

In view of the ceremonial element of the Assembly, the complex consists of a formal road pattern leading to a formal plaza and subsequently to an arrival colonnaded court, which forms the heart of Complex. It is from this court that one could proceed to the Assembly building directly and the Secretariat on the east side and the VIP chambers on the west side. The project is divided into (a) Assembly Block -1,750 sq.mts. (b) Secretariat Block -4,868 sq.mts. ( c ) VIP Block - 5,268 sq.mts. ( d) Central Courtyard with Ashok Stambha in the centre -655 sq. Mts. The complex is provided with pneumatic water supply system, fire-fighting system, Sewage Treatment Plant and Electric substation. It has a library, health centre, guard barracks, cafeteria, bank, DG set room, maintenance room, AC plant room etc.

The project is architecturally beautiful, majestic in appearance, blended with nature and culture of Goa, will be at the service of people of Goa for may centuries to come -a gift of the new Millennium. (Text by Shri A. B. Ulman, fanner Secretary -Legislature, Goa)