PANAJI
After three years of protracted and controversial repair work, the iconic Charles Correa-designed Kala Academy was finally thrown open to the public formally on Friday by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who said the work was taken up because the 50-year-old structure had gone weak and keeping in mind the next 50 years.
It is the responsibility of the government to renovate obsolete assets. It was 50 years since Kala Academy was constructed and its renovation was the need of the hour," Sawant said.
Sawant was speaking at the brief inaugural ceremony of the renovated structure where Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Art and Culture Secretary Menino D'Souza and other officials were in attendance.
Sawant, meanwhile said the old 'Fazenda' building of the Accounts department (whose new building at Porvorim was also inaugurated on Friday) will be renovated like the next-door 'Old Secretariat' (Adil Shah's Palace).
He said, after a gap of almost three years Kala Academy has reopened and is the identity of Goa.
“Artistes from within the State as well as outside are also eager to present their art at the Kala Academy. But in the last 5 to 6 years, it was not possible to hold programmes in the Kala Academy during monsoons. If it rained heavily, water would accumulate in the first three to four rows of the main hall. However, this problem will not arise now," Sawant said.
Meanwhile, the contractor who executed the renovation will maintain and do repairs over the next five years without any cost to the government, according to Cabral.
He also added that a new contract will be issued soon for the open air auditorium where the cantilever roof of the performing roof had collapsed a few months ago.
“The venue would be open for all the artists for 365 days and bookings would be undertaken from December 1 onwards,” Sawant said.
Gaude, who came under severe criticism from Opposition politicians and also the Charles Correa Foundation for lack of transparency in the work, announced that noted singer Asha Bhosle would be honoured by the Goa government during the Swar Manguesh Programme to be held from December 7 to 9 at the Kala Academy.
“The venue is fully ready to host the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the entire Kala Academy property will be open for visitors, with the exception of the outdoor auditorium,” Gaude said.
He also said, the restoration of the original design of the Black Box resembling the traditional Goan Rajangan is maintained and alterations in the seating areas for audiences have been made.
“Prior issues such as leakages and electrical problems would no longer exist as care has been taken to resolve them,” Gaude added.
