MARGAO: The Ravindra Bhavan at Margao has been orphaned after the dissolution of its governing council. Currently, the cultural centre does not have a head. But the government has appointed an administrator.
The member secretary appointed for Ravindra Bhavan holds other charges and hence he is not available for the centre.
Besides State festivals like IFFI, it plays host for hundreds of tiatrs every month. Despite being an important centre for art and culture in South Goa, it is painful to see the place being orphaned.
Except for some private functions approved by the former committee, there is nothing that the Ravindra Bhavan is offering to the people of South. There were a host of programmes scheduled during the Christmas season, but except for a few, most of them were not organised.
And the administrator is holding the additional charge of Printing and Stationery. He sits at Panjim and for all the administrative works the Ravindra Bhavan staff has to go to Panjim.
The Ravindra Bhavan also faces some major infrastructure issues; the biggest being the broken and leaking dome of the main auditorium which is threatening to spoil the entire carpet and stage of the auditorium if not repaired on time.
In a way the people too have begun losing hope in Ravindra Bhavan. The former vice chairperson Saiesh Palondicar said, “The programme held these days were all sanctioned by our Council. The play acted by the Art & Culture Minister Govind Gawde ‘Ithe Oshalala Mrityu’ too was sanctioned during our time. Political interference has created this situation.”
Saiesh said that only after the BJP State President is elected, the Ravindra Bhavan would get a chairman.
