By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 17: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday clarified that recent reports questioning the safety of the PA Sangma Stadium were misleading and stemmed from improper interpretation of facts.
Sangma said the issue related only to a specific portion of the stadium, namely the West Stand area, and not to the entire structure. He explained that the retaining wall in question had been constructed long before the current PA Sangma Stadium project was initiated and was not part of the new stadium construction. The wall, he said, had existed earlier and had collapsed again, as it had been partly built a long time back.
The Chief Minister stated that following the collapse of the retaining wall, the state government decided to take up the work on its own.
He said around Rs 45 crore had been sanctioned for the project, the tendering process had been completed, work had been allotted, and construction would begin soon.
On the issue of land requirement, Sangma said a portion of land currently occupied by the BSF was needed to extend the West Stand and also to construct a road that would provide access to several localities located below the stadium. He noted that hundreds of houses were situated in these areas and that safety considerations made the additional space necessary.
From this specific structural and safety point of view, he said the West End area required immediate construction. Sangma added that a letter had therefore been addressed to Coal India Limited, explaining the seriousness of the requirement and seeking the necessary land to carry out the construction.
The chief minister emphasised that the communication to Coal India Limited did not indicate that the entire stadium was unsafe, but was limited to a particular section to facilitate the West Stand project. He said the issue had been completely misinterpreted and added that the Sports Department would also issue a clarification.
Sangma urged the press fraternity to conduct proper research before publishing such reports, stating that inaccurate and hurried reporting could create unnecessary doubt and undermine the credibility of media organisations themselves.
