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- Published: July 24, 2023 14:03
New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday took strong objection to a tweet by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, in which the latter pointed to ‘poorly developed infrastructure’ and ‘falling ceiling’ at the Veer Savarkar International airport in Port Blair.
Calling out the Congress in-charge communications, the Aviation Minister said that the false ceiling shown as ‘collapsing’ in the video was actually loosened for the CCTV work and was subsequently fixed.
Scindia asked the Congress spokesperson to refrain from sensationalizing issues for political advantage and also advised to do a ‘fact check’ before jumping the gun and ‘peddling fake information’.
The structure is outside the terminal building. Besides, a part of the false ceiling had been deliberately loosened for CCTV work. Heavy winds (about 100 km/hr) later, led to the swinging panels as seen in the video. The false ceiling had been restored after completing the work.… https://t.co/DuLYjUIk0V
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 24, 2023
Earlier in the day, Jairam Ramesh shared a video of the airport where a part of the ceiling was seen swinging in winds. Hitting out at Modi government & concerned ministries, he said that taxpayers money was being splurged on substandard projects and given clearances in ‘New India’.
“It’s the taxpayers and citizens who pay the cost. Such a sorry state of affairs in ‘New India’!, Jairam tweeted.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate anything these days — even if it’s unfinished or substandard infrastructure (highways, airports, bridges, trains, etc)
More than willing ministers anxious to boost their Sensex with him oblige.
It’s the taxpayers and citizens who pay the cost.… https://t.co/TGUg128dsz
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 23, 2023
A new terminal building of Veer Savarkar airport was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister days ago, via video conferencing. Built at a cost of ₹707.73 crore, the shell-shaped terminal building is expected to handle 5 million passengers on annual basis.
What the AAI said
While BJP & Congress engaged in war of words over the swinging portion of the ceiling, the clarification by Airport Authority of India (AAI) has set records straight.
After several videos of falling & swinging ceiling went viral on social media, a day ago, the AAI said, “false ceiling outside the terminal building was loosened for the adjustment of CCTV works and final alignment.”
The AAI told newsmen that the false ceiling was in front of the ticketing counter, outside the terminal building and it was deliberately loosened for the adjustment of CCTV works & final alignment.