CM Pramod Sawant inaugurated the renovated Hanuman Natyagraha in Mapusa on Sunday.
MAPUSA
The long-cherished dream of Mapusa and Bardez to have their own Ravindra Bhavan has once again been pushed into uncertainty, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirming that the cultural centre is unlikely to materialise in the next two years.
Speaking while inaugurating the renovated Hanuman Natyagraha, a private auditorium in Mapusa on Saturday, Sawant said the delay was primarily due to the failure to finalise a suitable site for the project.
“It’s not the government’s fault. The government is ready to come up with the Ravindra Bhavan in Mapusa, but the land is not getting finalised. Once the site is identified and plans are drawn, it will take at least two years,” Sawant said.
The announcement has come as a major setback to the cultural fraternity of Bardez, which has been demanding a dedicated cultural hub for years.
The taluka, comprising seven constituencies, remains without such a facility even as smaller or remote talukas are seeing progress.
Local MLA Joshua D’Souza, who has repeatedly assured citizens that the project would soon take off, appeared on the defensive following the Chief Minister’s statement.
D’Souza, along with Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson Priya Mishal, was present at the event.
Mapusa resident Mahesh Rane said the CM’s statement reflected the ground reality.
“The way things are moving, the project may not see the light of day for at least five years. It appears the local MLA’s efforts are not being taken seriously by the government,” he remarked.
Three years ago, the State government had identified Cunchelim comunidade land for the project. However, despite initial consent from the managing committee, a general body resolution was never passed.
The newly elected comunidade president, Ryan Braganza, said he revived the process earlier this year.
“When I took charge, I ensured that the general body approved the proposal to part with nearly 32,000 sq m of land at a minimum rate for the Ravindra Bhavan in May,” Braganza said.
Adding to the disappointment, the government recently cleared the construction of a Ravindra Bhavan at Tuem in Pernem on 50,000 sq m of land at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore – underscoring the irony that while remote talukas are being prioritised, an urban centre like Mapusa continues to wait.
