Part of Andaman airport's ceiling panel falls off days after inauguration. Video

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Andaman islands, a structure outside the building suffered damage due to strong winds. A part of the structure's ceiling panels fell off recently, prompting widespread criticism. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the panels were loosened to install CCTV cameras and have since been fixed.

The incident came to light after a video of the "false" ceiling falling off went viral.

Reacting to it, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh commented, "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. Such a sorry state of affairs in ‘New India’!"

The Aviation Minister then clarified that the damage had occurred at a structure outside the main building of Veer Savarkar airport. "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/hour) later, led to the swinging panels as seen in the video. The false ceiling had been restored after completing the work," Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted.

Built at a cost of Rs 710 crore, Veer Savarkar International Airport in Andaman is spread across an area of around 40,800 square metres and has the capacity to accommodate over 50 lakh passengers annually.