“Don’t jump gun”: Scindia targets Congress after false ceiling in Port Blair airport loosens post-inauguration

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday advised the opposition to seek an explanation instead of “jumping the gun” after ceilings at the recently inaugurated terminal of Veer Savarkar International Airport was loosened. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week unveiled the new terminal of the airport.

Scindia said the structure which has loosened was outside the terminal building and added a part of the false ceiling was deliberately loosened for CCTV-related work “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,” Scindia tweeted.

Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a false ceiling at the just inaugurated terminal building at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair loosened from its groove.

“The Prime Minister will inaugurate anything these days — even if it’s unfinished or substandard infrastructure (highways, airports, bridges, trains, etc),” Jairam Ramesh wrote on Twitter, sharing a video from an Andaman-based media outlet which carried the story.

“It’s the taxpayers and citizens who pay the cost. Such a sorry state of affairs in ‘New India’!”
Responding to the Congress leader sharply, Scindia further wrote, “Next time, instead of jumping the gun and seeking sensationalism out of nothing, just seek an explanation.”
The integrated terminal building at the Port Blair airport was virtually inaugurated by PM Modi on July 18.

Airports Authority of India too took cognizance of the incident and said the ceiling in front of the ticketing counter, outside the terminal building, was loosened for the adjustment of CCTV works and final alignment.

“On the night of 22nd July, there was heavy wind, which uplifted the false ceiling from the bottom since the wind was not able to escape towards the ticketing counter area,” AAI tweeted.

“Due to this, around 10 sqm of false ceiling became dislocated, but the same has been rectified. The false ceiling inside the terminal building is intact, and no damage occurred to any of the installations inside the terminal,” AAI added.

With a total built-up area of 40,837 sqm, the new terminal building can handle 1200 passengers during the busiest operational hour — also known as peak hour and about 50 lakh passengers annually.

The airport building is equipped with 28 check-in counters, 12 immigration counters, three passenger boarding bridges and three conveyor belts.

An Apron suitable for two B-767-400 and two AB-321 types of aircraft has also been constructed at Port Blair Airport at a cost of Rs 80 Crore, making the airport suitable for parking 10 aircraft at a time. (ANI)