Bombay HC asks Goa govt to fix responsibility in Kala Academy works

The Bombay high court has said it was confident the Goa government would fix responsibility on officials who bypassed the tendering process for the structural repair and renovation of Kala Academy in Panaji, a TOI report stated. A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Ashish Chavan said this while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent inquiry into the works last week.

As per the TOI report, the court declined to dispose of the PIL filed by Durgadas Kamat and instead posted the hearing for September 29. “We expect state govt to be vigilant in ensuring that if the work is shoddy, and if it falls within the defect liability clause, if any, then the structure must be repaired and renovated as per the scope of the work order,” the order quoted by TOI stated.

The bench also said it expects the government to make its stand clear on the defects pointed out in the works and the manner in which the task will be completed.
The state informed the court that a three-member committee was set up in January 2023 to investigate the tendering process. The committee’s findings were submitted to the vigilance department. Officials told the court that further inquiry is on, and documents from the directorate of art and culture, PWD and Kala Academy are being examined. A final report will be submitted once the inquiry is completed, the TOI report stated.