TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The construction of two Ravindra Bhavans, at Sancoale and Baina respectively, within a distance of eight kms has irked the legislators from North Goa, who cried foul alleging that injustice was being done to performing artists in the northern talukas of the State.
“The Ravindra Bhavan at Sancoale is being constructed by GSIDC, but on whose recommendation, is still being looked into,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said while intervening in the discussion during Question Hour Friday.
Parrikar said that the Ravindra Bhavan at Sancoale is not of the Art and Culture department.
He took pot shots at the local panchayat which he suspects was instrumental in recommending the construction of the Ravindra Bhavan at Sancoale and said that they won’t even have the support systems to clean the glass panelled structure.
The original query was raised by Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida who sought details from the Art and Culture minister on the Ravindra Bhavan at Baina and expressed concern over the construction work.
He said, “The quality of work is third class (sic) and from the ceiling to the wiring and plastering things will start falling apart within six months.”
In his reply Art and Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar agreed to conduct a site inspection and ensure that quality of work is checked and solutions found to the issues raised by his colleague. He earlier said that the project would be ready by May this year.
It was here that Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar raised the issue of two Ravindra Bhavans within an eight kms distance and sought to know how many programmes, dramas are expected to be held at the two centres.
He also sought to know what were the criterion for having two centres for performing art within such close proximity.
“Does South Goa have more cultural artists than the North?” he quizzed adding, “Why isn’t Mapusa considered for a Ravindra Bhavan.”
It is learnt that the minister assured that a Ravindra Bhavan would be considered for Bardez also.
