The prestig ious Ravindra Bhavan in Margao, a cornerstone of South Goa’s cultural land scape, has found itself at the centre of both con troversy and hope. While long-awaited repair works are now on track for com pletion by October 30, concerns have been raised over how the project was initiated without the re quired financial approvals or official work orders. Ravindra Bhavan Chair man Rajendra Talak ad mitted that the renovation work had commenced be fore formal clearances were in place.
This revelation drew sharp criticism from noted artist and former member of the Goa State Cultural Development Com mittee, Vishal Pai Cacode, who condemned the move as a gross violation of ad ministrative norms. “This kind of procedural bypassing reflects a dan gerous attitude—one of arrogance and unchecked authority,” Cacode re marked. “Cultural insti tutions must be run with transparency and respect for due process, not as personal domains.” He warned that begin ning work without finan cial sanction undermines accountability and opens the door to misuse of pub lic resources. “Public money is in volved. Rules exist to pro tect that. Ignoring them is not just reckless—it’s un acceptable,” he said, call ing on the Art and Culture Department to investigate the lapse and ensure ac countability.
Meanwhile, PWD Min ister Digambar Kamat, who inspected the site with RBM Chairman Ra jendra Talak, theatre per sonality Vijay Kenkre, fire officials, engineers, and contractors, assured that quality would not be com promised and the project would be delivered on time. “The contractor is en suring quality, and we’ve fixed October 30 as the completion target. The Chief Minister is person ally following up on the progress and has extended full support to expedite the work,” Kamat stated.
He acknowledged the heavy impact the closure of the auditorium had on the tiatr fraternity and other cultural groups. “All programmes had come to a standstill, and Chair man Talak took the issue seriously, escalating it to the Chief Minister who responded swiftly,” Kamat added, noting that a mock drill will be conducted be fore reopening. Talak expressed grati tude for the government’s intervention.
“Thanks to the intervention of Min ister Kamat and the gov ernment, the repair works have been fast-tracked. We are making every effort to restore Ravindra Bhavan so that artists and cultural groups can return to the stage,” he said. Cacode, however, cau tioned against arbitrary decision-making in pub lic institutions. “Ravindra Bhavan Margao must be brought back on track and protected from arbitrary decision-making. It should reflect the spirit of Goa’s vibrant arts—not the whims of those in power,” he said.
Once reopened, Ravin dra Bhavan is expected to resume its role as South Goa’s premier cultural venue, hosting tiatrs, mu sical shows, dance per formances, and commu nity gatherings, bringing much-needed relief to the Goan cultural ecosystem.