Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude stated that the Kala Academy task force, led by Vijay Kenkre, is a government-appointed committee with a specific mission and should have avoided speaking to the media.
Gaude also stated that the task force must finish its work and submit the report to the government without making any “premature statements” in public.
Gaude added that the Kala Academy remodeling was completed to the best of the abilities of the people assigned to it.
“I actually acted in a play that was presented at the opening of the renovated Kala Academy,” he stated. “Any minor discrepancies discovered in the renovation work were then reported to the public works department.”
Gaude stated that he is not authorized to speak on behalf of PWD in response to a question concerning the work done by the public works department.
Additionally, the Minister of Art and Culture stated that he would respond to the Vijay Kenkre committee’s findings only after the committee had presented the government with its recommended report. He declared, “I am obligated to obtain a copy of this report as the concerned minister.”
Gaude went on to say that even though Kala Academy’s projection equipment for movie screenings was set up this week, he believes that the theater shouldn’t be used for movie screenings.
The Minister of Arts and Culture declared, “I will not permit Kala Academy to be converted into a movie theater as long as it is under my jurisdiction.” According to him, Kala Academy was originally intended to be a theater for plays and musical performances.
He said that the government already had a convention center for the International Film Festival of India in the works and that “efforts to provide a Dolby sound system and other facilities for Kala Academy so as to turn it into a cinema house will entirely change its character.”
In response to a query, Gaude stated that he has not yet had the opportunity to meet with the chairman or any of the Kala Academy task group members.
