PANAJI
Art and Culture Minister, Govind Gaude on Saturday sought to dismount from the high horse he rode not too far back in the past on the Kala Academy renovation works as the issue of the contract without a tendering process has seemingly come back to haunt him.
The minister recently defended the move stoutly by arguing that Moghal emperor Shahjahan had also built the Taj Mahal without calling for tenders.
Now that the Vigilance Department has prima facie flagged the deviation from set procedure, the minister sought to distance himself from any responsibility saying the decision to commission the contractor on nomination basis was that of the PWD and not taken by his Art and Culture department.
The Vigilance Department has prima-facie flagged the contract for side-stepping procedure in allocating the Kala Academy renovation work. Media reports have said that an inquiry has been recommended in a report to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Gaude said, the decision to go ahead with the Kala Academy work was taken by the cabinet and the PWD was asked to choose between tendering it or allocating it on nomination basis.
“PWD decided to go ahead with the renovation work of Kala Academy without tender and on nomination basis,” Gaude said, when asked to comment on public criticism on the issue from BJP spokesperson Savio Rodrigues.
“Those who are claiming a scam should question the PWD. Department of Art & Culture did not decide on the contract,” Gaude said.
On Saturday, Rodrigues one of BJP’s State level spokespersons, had in a social media post criticised Gaude for the KA controversy and also questioned the silence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the reported recommendation for a probe by the Vigilance department.
Rodrigues had contested this year’s assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Velim unsuccessfully.
Gaude meanwhile said, that the contractor has conveyed that the renovation works will be completed and Kala Academy will be ready for use in November.
“These are technical works. I cannot just be after them. If any faults surface after the inauguration, they will blame me,” Gaude said when questioned over the delay in completion of the work.
“Let us wait for a month and see,” he said.
The Vigilance Department report recommending a formal inquiry has come after two separate complaints were made alleging a scam by activists Sudip Tamankar and Avinash Tavares.
Separately, meanwhile, Gaude had been engaged in a protracted tussle of sorts with the Charles Correa Foundation, which had publicly flagged the work for potential tampering with the original architecture and aesthetics of the iconic edifice.
Correa, an eminent architect, was the original designer of the Kala Academy. Gaude has severally castigated the Foundation and argued that it had no locus-standi on the matter of renovation work.
The aggregate value of the ongoing renovation work is Rs 50 crore.
