File photo of Ravindra Bhavan. The canteen at Ravindra Bhavan has been lying shut more than a year ago.
MARGAO
Every time scribes question Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude over the resumption of canteen facility at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao during his visit to Saxttidom, take note the minister neither disappoints the media with a sound byte nor visitors, including tiatr lovers looking out for a bite at the cultural institution.
Thursday was no different when Gaude was in the city to inaugurate the Saras festival given his status as the Rural Development Agency (RDA) Minister. When scribes questioned him over the long delay in opening Ravindra Bhavan’s canteen facility, Gaude held out a promise for an early solution, even though his earlier promises went abegging.
This time, however, the Minister has come out with a different story saying the tender floated by the Ravindra Bhavan hardly received any bidders, Gaude has pointed out that he has favoured the Art and Culture department’s model of inviting applications from bidders over tenders.
“Many a time, bidders stay away from submitting their bids since they have to comply with the PWD norms. In the bargain, many a facility remains idle for want of bidders. Ravindra Bhavan has faced a similar situation when the tender was floated to run the canteen”, he said.
To tide away the procedural issues, the Minister now says the department may invite applications from prospective bidders, preferably Self Help Groups to come and run the canteen. “We are not looking at major project out of the canteen facility. We would be happy if the bidder takes care of the water and power supply and does the maintenance. Finally, the Ravindra Bhavan is not working round the week, but plays host to programmes and tiatrs only during certain days”, he said.
While leaving the Saras festival venue, the Art and Culture Minister has promised to get the Ravindra Bhavan canteen facility up and running in the immediate future.
Sources, however, pointed out that the Minister has only handed out assurances and promises to open the canteen facility, but in vain.
The canteen has been lying shut more than a year ago and the change in guard after the 2022 Assembly election has not helped to open the canteen facility at the Ravindra Bhavan, till date.
Tiatr lovers, who throng the Ravindra Bhavan to watch tiatrs staged by their favourite directors have been left to fend for themselves.
A makeshift canteen facility run by an individual is the only facility made available when tiatrs are staged at the Pai Tiatrist hall.
