Shillong(Meghalaya ), May 24 : Assembly Speaker Methab Lyngdoh on Tuesday said experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will audit the collapse of a steel dome from atop the under-construction Assembly building two days ago.
All works will be suspended till the IIT team submits its report on the safety of the entire Rs 177.7 crore building, he said.
“We have decided to entrust a third party panel with conducting an audit into the incident,” the Speaker said .
He said a panel of experts from one of the three IITs – Guwahati, Kolkata or Delhi – will be selected for the audit.
The decision was made at a meeting of a High-Powered Committee (HPC) chaired by Lyngdoh. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma, three ministers and an MLA were members of the panel.
The HPC has also decided to cover the open area of the dome portion that collapsed to ensure that rainwater does not enter the area.
Earlier in the day, HPC members inspected the Assembly building and held a closed-door meeting with the contractor, structural designers and top engineers of the PWD (Building) who are involved in overseeing the construction.
The contract for the project in New Shillong Township has been given to UP-based firm UPNRRN Ltd.
Work to erect the new Assembly building had commenced in 2019 and was scheduled to end in July this year.
The 70-ton steel dome crashed at around 12:30 am on Sunday.
PWD Executive Engineer Ransom Sutnga had earlier said that preliminary investigation revealed that design flaws have led to the mishap.
Earlier , The High Powered Committee met today to assess the damage caused by the collapse of the dome of the under-construction new Assembly at the Conference Hall of the Old Assembly Building at Khyndailad.
Assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh, Deputy Speaker Timothy D Shira, CM Conrad Sangma, LO Dr. Mukul Sangma, PWD (Building) Minister Dasakhiat Lamare, PHE Minister Renikton Tongkhar Lyngdoh, MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, Commissioner & Secy, Dr. Andrew Simons along with officials of Uttar Pradesh-based Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd, design associates amongst others who were present .
With Agency inputs
