Shillong, June 2: The retaining wall of the PA Sangma stadium in Tura was damaged.
Criticism has emerged over its shoddy construction.
Here is one such view of Junebirth Marak
“As a concerned citizen, I am deeply troubled by the recurring collapses of key
infrastructure projects in our state. Both the Tura MP Stadium and the new Meghalaya
Assembly House building, awarded to Badri Rai Construction Limited, have experienced
multiple structural failures, raising serious questions about construction standards and
government oversight
In 2022, the new Meghalaya Assembly House building suffered a roof collapse due to
excessive load and insufficient support materials. Despite reassurances from the company and a thorough enquiry by experts, the structure has failed again, with parts of the Assembly House wall breaking down within just six months.
Similarly, the Tura MP Stadium saw its retaining wall collapse ahead of the monsoon
season in 2023. This incident followed a prior collapse of the retaining wall, sparking
further concerns about the construction quality and the adequacy of the company’s
responses to previous failures.
After the initial incidents, former MP Agatha Sangma, along with experts from the
construction company, visited the affected sites to conduct enquiries and reassure the
public that such issues would not recur. Despite these assurances, the repeated collapses have highlighted significant shortcomings in both construction practices and oversight mechanisms.
It is frustrating to see Badri Rai Construction Limited continues to handle these projects
despite their track record. The government’s role in monitoring and enforcing construction
standards also needs to be scrutinized. If the current company cannot meet the required
standards and timelines, it’s imperative that the projects be reassigned to more competent contractors
“The government must take a stricter stance on these projects. Continued spending on
repairs and reconstruction of these failures is not just a waste of public funds but also
undermines public trust,” I have expressed multiple times.
Repeated expenditures on failed projects are a significant drain on the public welfare
budget. Funds that could have been allocated to new development initiatives or essential
services are instead being diverted to address recurring issues with existing projects. This
misallocation impacts the broader community, delaying progress and improvements in
other vital areas.
As a concerned citizen, I believe it is crucial for both the government and construction
companies to prioritize transparency, accountability, and quality. The ongoing failures not only jeopardize the integrity of important infrastructure but also erode public confidence in the institutions responsible for their oversight. Moving forward, rigorous enforcement of construction standards and a reevaluation of project management practices are essential to ensure that such costly mistakes do not continue to occur.
For the sake of our community and future development, it is time for a change. Our leaders must listen to our concerns and take decisive action to prevent further misuse of public funds and to restore faith in our infrastructure projects.
