SHILLONG/TURA, June 24: The state government on Saturday claimed the PA Sangma Sports Complex is being built by following all technical guidelines and a portion of its wall, which collapsed, was due to natural calamity that no one has any control over.
“Only a portion of the wall collapsed and not the main stadium,” government spokesperson and Cabinet minister, Marcuise N. Marak said.
He blamed water logging and said the problem can be rectified easily.
The government is facing criticism after the incident but Marak claimed all engineering guidelines were followed during construction. He said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered and the report of it will make things clearer.
Asked about the firm that executed the project, he said, “Things which will happen cannot be stopped. It is a natural calamity, so what can we do? We have to face it. It is not because of faulty construction.”
The PA Sangma Sports Complex is one of the most iconic venues of the Garo Hills region. A part of its retaining wall had collapsed on Thursday morning, raising questions over the project that was supposed to be an international standard football stadium.
Not satisfied by the government’s explanation, the Trinamool Congress said the incident needs a thorough investigation by an independent central agency. The party claimed there was a difference of opinion in the statements given by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Tura MP Agatha Sangma.
“The MP feels the contractors should be blacklisted for their negligence and the government should take strong action against them. But the CM believes a blocked drain is to be blamed for the collapse and there was no fault in construction,” TMC youth leader Richard Marak said in a statement.
Given the contrasting statements, he said it will be appropriate to conduct a thorough, independent and impartial inquiry by a central agency into the stadium project. It is important to get to the bottom of the case to prevent similar incidents in future, he said.
“It is concerning that the government has been accused of corruption, lack of proper monitoring and safety audit of constructions, which may have contributed to the collapse. These repeated incidents of infrastructure failure during the rainy season are a waste of public money, and it’s important that the government is transparent and accountable for their actions,” Marak said.
He referred to the recent elections when parties, including the BJP, criticised the NPP for inaugurating the incomplete stadium.
“At the time of inauguration, the state government said the facility is ‘world-class’ and the country’s largest pre-engineered composite football stadium. Six months after inauguration, the so-called world-class iconic infrastructure collapses,” Marak said.
He asked the government to take responsibility for its actions and ensure safety measures in all construction projects.
“By compromising and defending all the projects by the MDA government, a huge amount of public money is being wasted every year. It’s important that the government is transparent and accountable for their actions and it takes appropriate steps to prevent future incidents,” he stressed.
