Panaji: The Congress on Tuesday demanded to know the status of the probe regarding the renovation scam of Kala Academy and when will the centre reopen again.
Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar said that almost two years have passed since the renovation and yet there are no signs of re-opening the centre.
“The government had appointed a three member committee to investigate the scam but nothing has come out of it. The government is using dilly-dallying tactics to safeguard those involved in this scam,” he charged.
He said the government is bound to inform the public about the investigation as the project is being renovated with taxpayers’ money.
“We want to know about the investigation status and names of those who are involved in it. Kala Academy is the biggest artist institution in Goa. The work started to renovate it has not been completed, otherwise, it would have been already opened,” he said.
He said that many events had to be shifted to other places in Goa due to the ongoing work in the Kala Academy. “Looking at the Kala Academy renovation work, it becomes evident that the BJP government is not serious about promotion of art and culture,” Panjikar said.
Talking about Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude’s statement that — “for 390 years the Taj Mahal is standing as it is and Shah Jahan did not invite any quotations to build it. If he had invited quotations, God alone knows if the Taj Mahal would have been still standing,” — Panjikar asked the government to complete the probe into the alleged scam.
“Gaude justified the decision to nominate a contractor for the work of restoration without tendering it. It is now the duty of the BJP government to probe the centre’s scam of Rs 49 crore,” he said.
The Kala Academy centre was designed by Charles Correa.
(IANS)
