The Kala Academy renovation issue rocked the Legislative Assembly session with Fatorda constituency MLA Vijai Sardessai exposing the discrepancies in the processes of allocating the work. The prime question has been on why the Central Public Works manual was not followed while calling for the renovation work, and why the government instead of tendering the job of Rs 49 crore, decided to allot the work by passing a cabinet note.
In a bizarre reply, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude drew a strange comparison with the Taj Mahal while stating that the majestic and iconic monument was never tendered. One cannot understand the context and the parallel drawn to the Taj Mahal. The monument in Agra was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife in Mumtaz Mahal in 1632. Kala Academy is not private property, it’s been a part of Goa’s heritage since 1983. The comparison of job processes is completely misplaced.
If the rules of the manual are clear on tendering even for specialised jobs, there can’t be two ways about it. The government cannot shy away from accountability, and it has to explain why it chose to take the cabinet route. There is suspicion because the contractor is hand-picked for a Rs 49 crore work order.
Gaude defends his position that he had to look beyond Charles Correa Foundation (CCF) because there was no help forthcoming from them. If we may recall, the director of CCF had expressed willingness to help with the restoration and released a statement on April 10, 2021. Why was there no statement that CCF is not ready to help, and how the government wants to proceed?
The art and culture minister, while launching a scathing attack on the CCF, slammed the structural design of Kala Academy and pointed out that rainwater enters the premises during monsoons. The reality is that the architectural design of KA with a blend of indoor and outdoor spaces has a distinct character. KA was designed and completed by iconic architect and Padma Shri awardee Charles Correa in 1983 and was considered to be one of the finest examples of modern architecture in India. The government may not be bound to engage CCF in renovation or consultancy on the Kala Academy structure, but to discredit the work of Charles Correa and call it a flawed structure at this time is baffling.
There is no denying the fact that Gaude, being an engineer himself, understands structural aspects. However, as a minister, he must also understand the sentiments of Goans when it comes to anything related to heritage. Kala Academy has been a cultural hotspot and an architectural marvel that the State and its people are proud of. There are emotions and sentiments attached, and hence there is every need to keep arrogance out of the equation. Ministers, no matter their stature and ways of working, are still accountable and answerable.
