Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: Artist and former member of the Goa State Cultural Development Committee, Vishal Pai Cacode, has alleged that repair works at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, have been initiated without mandatory expenditure sanction or work orders.
Cacode said that Ravindra Bhavan Chairman Rajendra Talak himself admitted to allowing the works to begin without the required financial and administrative clearances. He described the move as “irresponsible, dictatorial and arrogant,” claiming that the institution meant to nurture artists was instead being reduced to “a playground of reckless decisions.”
“Rules are not optional; they are safeguards to ensure transparency and protect public money. By allowing works to proceed without clearance, the Chairman has violated governance norms and undermined checks meant to prevent misuse of funds,” Cacode stated.
He further said that cultural spaces like Ravindra Bhavan belong to the people of Goa and are built with taxpayers’ money, and therefore cannot be treated as the “personal fiefdom of political appointees.”
Calling the admission by the Chairman “shocking,” Cacode urged the Department of Art & Culture and other authorities to conduct an immediate scrutiny and hold those responsible accountable. “No public institution can function outside the framework of financial discipline and rule of law,” he stressed.
Reiterating that Goa’s cultural fabric deserves stewardship rooted in integrity and accountability, Cacode demanded that Ravindra Bhavan Margao be “rescued from dictatorial mismanagement” and restored to its role as a true cultural hub for artists and audiences.
