The fate of the Rs 61 lakh state-of-the-art Audio Studio proposed at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, is grounded in controversy. The grandiose project initiated around IFFI 2011 during the tenure of then chairman of Ravindra Bhavan Digambar Kamat has hit a block with the Vigilance department probing the spending on the project that was partly financed by the Indian Oil Corporation.
For more than two years now, work on the ambitious project has hit a roadblock following a change in political guard in the State post the 2012 Assembly poll. Chairman of Ravindra Bhavan Damodar (Damu) Naik ruled out resumption of the work on the project till his office gets the nod from the Vigilance department.
“Former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had referred the file on the audio studio project to the Vigilance department. Let the Vigilance department clear the project in all respects before we resume the work. We would like to know the expenses on the project,” Naik said.
Replying to a question, Naik said his office has not heard anything from the Vigilance department till date.
Incidentally, during a recent visit to Ravindra Bhavan, Art and Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar had said that the work on the audio studio project was not taken up by the Art and Culture department.
“My department would have executed the work by following the procedure and through proper tendering,” Mandrekar was quoted as saying on the controversy.
The audio studio was proposed at the Ravindra Bhavan at an estimated cost of Rs 61 lakh. Sources said the Indian Oil Corporation had chipped in with Rs 30 lakh towards the project before all work on it came to a grinding halt two-and-a-half years ago.
