CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday firmly dismissed reports claiming that the PA Sangma Stadium had been declared “unsafe”, asserting that the controversy stemmed from a misreading of a strategically issued District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) letter to Coal India aimed at expediting the acquisition of adjacent land required for expansion and road safety. Setting the record straight, the Chief Minister said the letter was never intended to question the safety of the stadium project but to fast-track critical infrastructure coordination.
Addressing the issue, Sangma clarified that the safety concern flagged by the DDMA was limited to a specific retaining wall of the west stand, a structure built long before the current stadium project was undertaken. He said the wall requires immediate reconstruction to ensure long-term stability and public safety, and that this isolated issue should not be conflated with the overall integrity of the modern stadium.
“The stadium has not been declared unsafe,” the Chief Minister stressed, adding that the ongoing project is structurally sound and progressing as planned. He explained that the DDMA’s communication to Coal India was a calculated administrative step to hasten land acquisition needed for seamless expansion, improved access and enhanced road safety around the stadium precinct.
Taking strong exception to what he termed misleading reportage, Sangma urged sections of the media to verify facts before publishing alarming headlines. He maintained that the government remains fully committed to integrating the remaining infrastructure in a safe, scientific and coordinated manner, ensuring that the PA Sangma Stadium meets all safety and planning norms.
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