Ravindra Bhavan repairs to be done by Oct 30: Kamat

Margao: PWD minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday inspected the ongoing repair works at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, and announced that all restoration activities will be completed by Oct 30.

“After discussions with all concerned—PWD officials, contractors, and the monitoring committee members—a consensus was arrived at that the ongoing repair works of Ravindra Bhavan will be completed by Oct 30. That’s our target,” Kamat told reporters after the inspection.

The minister was accompanied by Rajendra Talak, chairman of Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, and several PWD officials who briefed him on the progress of the restoration project.

Pointing out state govt’s commitment to the project, Kamat spoke of the chief minister’s proactive support for the repair works. “When the work of repairs was undertaken, time-bound completion of the work was a primary concern. The chief minister has been very supportive of the repair work. He went out of the way to approve the project, even permitting the contractor to take up the work without even waiting for the expenditure sanction which he said could come subsequently,” the PWD minister said.

The repairs have been the subject of significant public interest, particularly following protests by the Kala Rakhan Mand earlier this year. The protesters expressed concerns that Ravindra Bhavan might suffer the same deterioration as Kala Academy, which faced structural issues after modifications for film screenings for the International Film Festival of India (Iffi).

During his inspection, Kamat said, “The quality of the work has been maintained,” indicating that no corners were cut despite the pressure to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.

The minister also revealed that fire and emergency services will provide technical inputs for the repair work within the next 2-3 days, so that all safety protocols are properly integrated into the restoration plan.

The Pai Tiatrist auditorium at Ravindra Bhavan has remained closed since May 19.