Ceiling Collapse at Charilam Atal Bihari Vajpayee Vidyajyoti School Raises Alarming Questions on Construction Quality

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 22, 2025

In a disturbing incident, the ceiling of the newly constructed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Vidyajyoti School at Charilam collapsed yesterday, sparking concerns over the quality of government infrastructure projects. Fortunately, no students were injured, as they were not present in the conference hall at the time of the incident.

Eyewitnesses and school authorities confirmed that the ceiling came crashing down during non school hours, but due to sheer luck, the hall was unoccupied. The incident could have turned tragic had the collapse occurred during a student gathering or class session.

Allegations are now being raised about the substandard quality of construction. Cracks had already been noticed in several parts of the building within just a few months of its completion. The ceiling that collapsed was part of the structure built during the tenure of former Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, when he held the PWD portfolio.

This is not an isolated case. Tripura has witnessed multiple incidents in recent years where government buildings, bridges, and auditoriums have either collapsed or shown major structural faults shortly after construction. Despite repeated public concerns and media coverage, no concrete action has been taken against the responsible contractors or engineers. Investigations are rarely conducted, and if they are, the findings are never made public.

Many citizens have also voiced their frustration over the poor construction work under Agartala Smart City projects and the National Highway developments, which have become symbols of alleged corruption and inefficiency. The latest incident in Charilam has only added to the growing distrust among the public.

As calls grow louder for accountability and transparent investigation, the administration’s silence is being seen as indifference, further eroding public confidence in state-run development projects.

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