Panaji: In an embarrassment for the BJP government in Goa, a party functionary on Tuesday questioned the awarding of Kala Academy renovation work without tendering process. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Savio Rodrigues has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to "understand the reason behind omitting the tendering process to opt for a nomination process when it is clearly stipulated in the guidelines.
State PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral was not available for comment. State Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude had defended the process saying some specialised works had to be done by select agencies. The work to renovate the Kala Academy building in Panaji is estimated at Rs 56 crore. The Kala Academy was established by the Goa government in 1970 as an apex body to develop music, dance, drama, fine art, folk art, literature etc. and thereby promote the cultural unity of the state.
My intent to raise question on the 'no tendering process is not to cast an aspersion on the government or its ministers," Rodrigues stated in the letter. He said deliberate ignoring of the set guidelines, opens the BJP government to questions of a biased decision to allot the work to a favoured private agency without any other bidders for the work.
This decision sows the seeds of doubt that 'corruption' could have been a probability and a possibility, he added. The Kala Academy tendering issue was raised in the Assembly by GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai. State Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude had defended the process saying "whether a tender was opened for construction of Taj Mahal".
He had said that some specialised works have to be done by select agencies.
Rodrigues said the statement of Gaude comparing the Kala Academy project with the construction of the Taj Mahal makes a mockery of the country's democratic ethos. (PTI)
