There has been a whole lot of delay in the works of the Ravindra Bhavan Margao. Due to this delay, the cultural hub of Margao is now turning into a dungeon. The proposals for works of interior and exterior painting as well as minor and major civil works have been waiting for approval and execution for years. In the entire Ravindra Bhavan campus, the paving stones have given away and are posing danger to the bikers. Inter campus commuting on foot gets even worse after water accumulated beneath the paving stones splashes on to the feet of the people. The paving stones in the parking and the entry areas were replaced after several complaints but there is no sign of work for other areas to be undertaken.
The Ravindra Bhavan building, from interior to the exterior, haven’t been repaired ever since commissioning. The Ravindra Bhavan was commissioned in 2008 and has completed eight years since then. The venue is a hotspot for Tiatrs and plays and is the favorite destination for several national programmes and conferences of various cultural institutions. Sadly, the building is now old and dilapidated in several areas. The paint on the walls from inside as well as outside has flaked due to water seepage from the slab joints and corners of the building.

The building was supposed to be taken up for full interior and exterior painting to restore its visual aesthetics. However, no work has begun for the last six months. The pavers in the Ravindra Bhavan parking area were partially replaced and the remaining work of pavers was slated for execution with an allotted budget of more than 5.5 lakh rupees. The central passage of the parking which was troubling the most, was repaired in 2016. Some of the important machinery like the chiller unit of the air conditioning main plant too awaits repairs.
Though the electrical, air conditioning, IT and pest control works are done regularly, the Ravindra Bhavan still awaits and deserves lots of major revamp in order to make it look and feel Goan and also be an attractive place to be. But on the contrary there were attempts where exhibition cum sale like activities were allowed in the costly and difficult to maintain lawn behind the Ravindra Bhavan. After the sale concluded, the entire lawn was dead and longed for much needed attention.

“People were facing hardships due to the degenerated pavers in the parking and the passage areas. I don’t get very impressive like feel when entered the Bhavan because the aesthetics are not very Goan,” said Edwin Vas from Benaulim.
When inquired with the authorities, it was revealed that, because of the lengthy process of getting works passed, the Ravindra Bhavan has become a dungeon.
Sarika Advilkar a literature expert said “The Ravindra Bhavan is a beautiful cultural hub of Salcete and has been witness to the presence of several senior and renowned artists from Goa and beyond. It is easy to get a building like this ready and commissioned but it is equally difficult to maintain the same in the long run. The canteen is satisfactory but can be improvised to serve better.”
The Vice President of Ravindra Bhavan, Chandan Naik said, “The expenses for cleanliness, light and water bills as well as organisation of functions is handled by Ravindra Bhavan and the rest is entirely looked after by the PWD and Art & Culture Department. The Ravindra Bhavan hosts national level programs with artists and men coming from all around the globe. The bad feel of crumbling infrastructure and non impacting aesthetics of the building does give out a bad impression. The water leakage in the foyer and hall areas has been a headache for years. We have spoken to the concerned departments and we have been told that for the tender to be passed, there needs to be a committee in place which will execute the same and till then there will be no change in the situation.”
For the betterment of the people and the image of the state’s cultural dais, the improvement of the Ravindra Bhavan of Margao which is the cultural capital of Goa, is a must and it is expected that the new government will put things in order here.

Team TNV