Inquiry was ordered by Parrikar after assuming office post 2012 poll
the goan I network
MARGAO
However, a vigilance probe ordered by Parrikar after he assumed office for the third time post-2012 Assembly election, is still dragging on till date, with the probe virtually blocking an ambitious Rs 61 lakh state-of-the-art Audio Studio proposed six years ago in 2011 at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
Former Vigilance Director Narayan Sawant had told The Goan a couple of months ago that the Vigilance probe is still underway into the tendering process of the Audio Studio. Incumbent Vigilance Director Sanjeev Desai too said that the inquiry is still underway.
Sources in the Vigilance department informed that the Vigilance probe is pending for various reasons, with an official saying that the agency has sought certain queries from the Member Secretary, Ravindra Bhavan on the project.
Questions are raised in city's art and culture circles as to how come a probe initiated by the vigilance five years ago is still dragging on without any conclusion, since the inconclusive probe has come in the way of the audio studio seeing light of day. For, work on the Audio Studio stands stalled till since 2012 till date on the premise the project has come under the Vigilance scanner.
Former Ravindra Bhavan Chairman, Damu Naik had all along maintained during his five year stint in office that work on the project would resume only the vigilance answers all queries and doubts raised in respect of the project.
With Damu Naik no more heading the Ravindra Bhavan and former students leader and chief spokesperson of the Goa Forward party presiding over the affairs of the government-funded cultural institution, it's unclear that how the new panel will deal with the issue as the vigilance probe has denied a state of the art audio studio facility for Margao.
Says Prashant Naik, Ravindra Bhavan Chairman:
"The new panel is not only aware of the pending audio studio project, but the building block as well. We have taken up the issue with the right authorities and we are confident that a lot of things will move during the current term. We have had a meeting with the PWD officials and I am hopeful that things will starting moving in the
near future".
Sources in the know said the Vigilance probe was initiated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in 2012 based on a media report on alleged discrepancies in the tendering process.
"Ordering a probe is one thing and capping the inquiry is another. In this case, the Vigilance has failed to cap the probe during the last five years and may take a couple of years more to complete the inquiry", remarked a senior official.
The estimated cost of the audio studio was pegged at a whooping Rs 61 lakh, of which an public sector oil company had chipped
in Rs 30 lakh, while the balance funds were to made available by the Art and culture department.
