Panaji: The leader of opposition in Goa Assembly, Yuri Alemao, on Monday blamed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Art & Culture Minister Govind Gaude after a portion of the open auditorium of the renovated Kala Academy collapsed, and sought their resignation.
It may be recalled that while defending the state government’s move to nominate a contractor for the renovation work of Kala Academy without floating a tender, Gaude had said in July last year that even Shah Jahan did not invite quotations before building the Taj Mahal.
“Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1653. Do you know why it is still so beautiful and everlasting? Because Shah Jahan never invited quotations to build it. That is why the Taj Mahal is intact even after 400 years,” Gaude had said.
Alemao said that the Kala Academy was designed by legendary architect Charles Correa, where famous national and international artistes have performed.
“But now under the insensitive and ‘Mission Total Commission’ government, it has become a monument of corruption. The renovation work of the Kala Academy was given to a contractor without floating a tender, which is against the CPWD manual,” Alemao said.
“We have already said that the BJP government indulged in corruption over the renovation work. And now the open auditorium has collapsed despite crores being spent on its renovation. I demand a judicial inquiry into this matter,” he said.
Alemao also held Sawant and Gaude responsible for the mess.
“I would say the whole Cabinet is responsible, as it approved the renovation without floating a tender. The work was assigned to a party to indulge in corruption. Hence, no department is ready to give a clarification about this mess now,” Alemao said.
“Funds from the state exchequer were used for the renovation work, which is public money. Hence we will not keep quiet, but raise this issue in the Assembly,” he said.
“I have come to know that the expenditure for the renovation work reached to Rs 90 crore. But the government has failed to give any clarity on the expenditure or how the contractors were nominated,” Alemao said.
–IANS
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