Meghalaya : AITC Demands IIT-Roorkee To Conduct Fresh Probe Into Dome Collapse Of Under-Construction Assembly Building 

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Posted in Featured, Meghalaya, Northeast

 

  • NET Web Desk

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has demanded that the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee (IIT-R) to conduct a fresh probe into the dome collapse of the under-construction assembly building at Mawdiangdiang.

According to the party, “the state government’s decision to appoint IIT-Guwahati over IIT-Roorkee to probe into the dome collapse; was made to safeguard the contractors – UPRNNL and Badri Rai & Co., and to bury the issue quietly without taking any significant action against them.”

In a statement, the AITC National Spokesman – Saket Gokhale noted that fresh information has emerged, clearly pointing to the MDA government’s attempt to cover up the entire situation.

“Therefore, we demand that the IIT-Roorkee or any other impartial agency (not collaborating with UPRNNL or Badri Rai & Co.) be selected for a new audit of the dome collapse, in order for this entire illegal nexus to be uncovered,” – he said.

He further demanded that “an independent court-monitored investigation be launched immediately into the shocking acts of collusion and connivance between the MDA government and the two contractors who have been permitted to violate all norms and who have been protected by the MDA Government despite their failures.”

Gokhale claims that the state public exchequer has suffered significant losses amounting to crores as a result of the corruption between the government and contractors.

The national spokesman disclosed that an auction for the construction of 160 units of F-type residential quarters had been launched by IIT-Guwahati in 2018. The total cost of this project was 136.86 crores. Although, the winning bidder for this contract was UPRNNL, but it has astonishingly subcontracted the work to Badri Rai & Corporation.

“In short, IIT-Guwahati currently has a 136.86 crore construction contract ongoing which is being executed by UPRNNL and Badri Rai & Co. (the same 2 companies who were working on the collapsed assembly building. This information is revealed in the IIT-Guwahati Director’s Report dated 22.09.2020,” – he noted.

This 70-tonne steel dome of the under-construction Meghalaya assembly building at Mawdiangdiang in New Shillong Township collapsed on May 22, at around 12:30 AM. As per reports, the dome collapsed, due to a design flaw.

Its worthy to note that the northeastern state don’t have a permanent Assembly building, since the old wooden one of 1937 was reduced to ashes in 2001. The 60-member House is temporarily meeting at an auditorium next to the historic Brookside Bungalow, which was previously retreat to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

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