MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: A part of the newly renovated false ceiling of the Kala Academy built on the Shahjahan model came crashing down on Monday morning due to water leakage raising a volley of questions on the quality of work. While the Opposition renewed a tirade of allegations of corruption against the government, netizens and tiatrists were left shell-shocked and outraged. The Panjim Fire and Emergency Services were summoned by the authorities to inspect the structure.
Kala Academy, known as the Taj Mahal of Goa as per Chief Minister is battling with poor engineering as it crumbling down with bits and pieces.
As per reports, there was a sign of water leakage which brought down the weak ceiling. The entire false ceiling of the corridor was filled with water and was on the verge of collapse. The surface of the ceiling was uneven as it had absorbed most of the leaked water rendering it soft and weak.
The incident has raised speculation amongst the public on the inadequate work done for the renovation of Kala Academy. With just a month away from monsoons, the condition of the Kala Academy has begun to deteriorate due to a sudden shower on Saturday.
However, this is not the first time that a portion has come down crashing at the Kala Academy. On July 17 last year, a huge portion of the structure of an open-air auditorium at the Kala Academy had collapsed raising concern serious questions over the quality of work being put into renovating the iconic Kala Academy building.
The opposition and netizens had renewed the allegations of corruption in the renovation work at the Kala Academy.
Meanwhile, speaking to O Heraldo, Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude said, "Public Works Department (PWD) is carrying out the work and it has not handed over the building to Kala Academy. They are carrying out some small works here and there. The contractor has been appointed by the PWD. It is the PWD which is executing the entire work since beginning till date and have written letters not once, twice but on many occasions and reminders to them and asked them to hand over the building and to issue a structural stability certificate."
The news of the false ceiling collapsing spread like wildfire and there were sharp reactions from tiatrists and viewers frequenting the auditorium for various cultural events.
Pascoal de Chicalim, who recently staged his tiatr ‘Goenkaranchim Dukham’ in the DMK Auditorium, was shocked to hear about the collapse and said, “Goa's Taj Mahal is in the news again. After the unexpected showers, leakage in the auditorium and the presence of a snake has turned the Kala Academy turn into a laughing stock.”
"Now the collapse of the false ceiling is the nail in the coffin. Imagine if it had happened when a Tiatr or a Natak was in progress. The open air auditorium is also still lying in ruins," he added.
Another regular tiatr viewer, Rafael Pereira from Fontainhas, Panjim, could not digest that the false ceiling collapsed when crores of rupees were spent for the renovation of Kala Academy.
"Is this the fruit of the renovation carried out by the authorities? Or should we await yet another big disaster inside the auditorium as well after the collapse of the open air auditorium, which is still lying in shambles?," he inquired.
Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said, "I would like to ask Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, who thinks himself as Shahjahan, why the work has been substandard. It appears that during rains, Kala Academy might get washed away into river Mandovi and turn into a floating Taj Mahal in monsoon. I would like to request the Minister to see that he gets quality work from the contractor. Same kind of situation was witnessed during National Games.''
However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade said, ''I have spoken to the Chief Minister about the Kala Academy issue and he has assured me that an inquiry will be conducted into the matter.''
