Imphal, June 24: The double storey shopping complex at Thoubal Wangmataba Bazar which was just recently inaugurated has tilted precariously and in eminent danger of collapsing any day now. The concrete structure of about 30 shops constructed by Simplex Company based in Kolkata under the state Public Works Department (PWD) has started to tilt towards Thoubal River with the bank already crumbling. While construction started in the early part of 2013, the structure was handed to the shopkeepers only this year. Thoubal Municipal Corporation (TMC) had issued an official warning to the shop-owners to clear their wares from the building and have cordoned off the place as a preventive measure. Meanwhile, a reliable source disclosed that the construction of the structure was taken over by a group of influential and well-connected contractors from Thoubal after Simplex was chased out of the project. It was also revealed that the Municipal Councillors surreptitiously provided allotment for the building plot for financial considerations ranging from 5 to 15 lakh rupees while there is doubt regarding the approval of Central Ministry of Environment which is required as part of the structure is reclaimed from the river. The source also disclosed that the construction was completed without revealing the real source of control behind the activities thereby projecting the impression to the public that the project was carried out by Simplex till completion.
