Goa's iconic Kala Academy is set for another partial closure, with corrective repair work scheduled to begin from August 1 after an inspection by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras identified 18 major defects in the renovated structure. The cultural complex had remained closed since 2021 for renovation and strengthening works before being reopened to the public in November 2023. The State government spent nearly Rs 56 crore on the renovation project and later had sanctioned an additional Rs 10 crore in 2024 for further repairs. It should be noted that the former Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude had started the renovation work of the iconic structure in 2021 without conducting the tendering process, and when MLA Vijay Sardesai had asked in the Goa Assembly in July 2022 as to why there was no formal tendering process, Gaude had defended the decision by saying that even Shah Jahan had not invited tenders for construction of the Taj Mahal. Now, why has the government not held him responsible for the 18 major defects in the renovated structure? Well, the government should make this man pay from his own pocket for the proposed corrective repair work scheduled to begin from August 1.
