SHILLONG, June 22: The collapse of the retaining wall of the PA Sangma Sports Complex barely six months after its “hasty inauguration” is shameful, the Meghalaya Trinamool Congress has said.
The retaining wall of the stadium, inaugurated in December 2022, collapsed on Thursday morning.
TMC vice-president, George B. Lyngdoh said the setback for the sports complex is more shameful than the collapse of the Assembly dome a year ago because it is named after Purno A. Sangma, a political icon of the state and the father of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
“It shows people can compromise on the quality of construction even in the name of PA Sangma,” he said.
“An FIR should be filed against the tainted company (that built the stadium) and they should all be booked under the provisions of the IPC and the CrPC as they have endangered the lives of the people. Luckily, no one was injured and no lives were lost,” Lyngdoh said.
Those involved in shoddy construction of a stadium or the Assembly building should be taken to task, he added.
He said the sports complex was a pet project of the CM. “It was hurriedly inaugurated ahead of the Assembly elections although flaws in the construction had been pointed out,” Lyngdoh said.
The TMC in the Garo Hills also came down heavily on the MDA 2.0 government for ignoring public complaints about the shoddy construction work and blaming the opposition instead.
In a statement, TMC youth leader, Richard Marak accused the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government of indulging in corruption and misgovernance and lacking transparency and accountability.
“It has not even been a year since the PA Sangma Sports Complex was inaugurated by the chief minister in honour of his late father. The wall on the roadside collapsed this morning, damaging properties, and risking lives,” Marak said.
“During the construction, there were complaints from the public on the shoddy work, but the NPP dismissed them and accused the opposition of playing politics. The collapse of the wall proves otherwise,” he said.
He added that it was unfortunate and regrettable that the stadium costing Rs 127.7 crore was constructed in a congested part of Tura without any parking provision, posing a risk to the lives and property of the people.
Marak said that the government should have considered the potential hazards before building it.
He also recalled the collapse of the central dome atop the Rs 177.7 crore Assembly building last year as well as the ISBT building at Mawlai-Mawiong which developed cracks and leaks soon after its inauguration.
But no one has been held accountable and no action has been taken against the minister, engineers, and contractors involved, he said.
Pointing out further inefficiencies of the MDA government, Marak said the artificial turf of the Chandmari playground in Tura was laid on a concrete floor posing risks to the players. He added that the facility does not have a proper drainage system and is currently flooded due to the rains.
