log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY JUNE 11, 2025 GOA Bed crunch returns to haunt South Goa district hospital Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 354 3 GOA Mapusa godown owner breaks FDA seal, flees with banana stock 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Vitamin D deficiency: Five ways to add orange juice Curtains down at Ravindra Bhavan as ceiling caves in TIATRS, SHOWS AT PAI TIATRIST HALL, BLACK BOX TO TAKE A BACK SEAT FOR NEARLY THREE MONTHS THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO In a major development, inspection of the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao has revealed that parts of false ceiling have collapsed at both the Pai Tiatrist hall and the Black Box, forcing the management to shut the venue for tiatr and other socio-cultural programmes till the repairs are complete. This means that Pai Tiatrist hall will remain shut for an indefinite period, at least for three months, and has dashed all hopes that the auditoriums will resume staging tiatrs from June 15, a date set by Ravindra Bhavan on May 27. The latest decision to close the Pai Tiatrist hall and the Black Box comes against the backdrop of an inspection report submitted by the PWD on Tuesday, stating that the false ceiling work along with electrical wiring shall be taken up on top priority along with acoustic wall paneling before making Ravindra Bhavan operational so as to avoid any untoward incident considering safety of public. Chairman Rajendra Talak told media on Tuesday that he has appealed to the public to co-operate with the management. He assured them continuous monitoring of day-today work in order to complete it at the earliest and give the best facility to the public, audience and all the artistes. Talak said the false ceiling >> ON PAGE 3 PWD flags safety concerns at Margao’s Ravindra Bhavan, calls for urgent repairs I understand sentiments of tiatr fraternity, but I am helpless: Talak on delay in repairs Part of the false ceiling of the Black Box that cracked on Tuesday.  Longest closure in 17 years MARGAO: Perhaps for the first time since it was inaugurated 17 years ago in July 2008, Ravindra Bhavan, Margao will be out of bounds for tiatr and other socio-cultural programmes for months. The Pai Tiatrist hall was scheduled to be shut down officially for the two months of July and August to tone up the infrastructure, including the projector, screen and sound system ahead of the IFFI festival in November late this year. Staging of tiatrs had come to a halt since May 19, when the management had taken up the work of repair to the roof.  >> See pg 3 work of auditorium and black box was done 17 years back and was due for repairs. Addressing media along with Member Secretary Swati Dalvi, vice-Chairman Manohar Borkar, Tiatr Academy of Goa president Anthony Barbosa and khell-tiatrist Director Arnaldo D’Costa, Talak said the Pai Tiatrist auditorium of Ravindra Bhavan Margao was closed since May 19, 2025 due to water Santosh Mirajkar leakage. “Work was taken up by PWD Div VIII on emergency basis but could not get completed on time due to unexpected and heavy rains. The roofing work has now been completed”, he said. Talak, however, said the PWD Div VIII during their inspection has observed dampness on false ceiling and also damages in some parts of Auditorium and Black Box. “Today PWD Div VIII has submitted a report to us asking not to use Auditorium and the Black Box till all the replacement of false ceiling is completed at both the places. This decision has been taken in the interest of public safety”, he said. TAG delegation to meet CM for funds sanction, seeks cooperation 10 SPORTS Last-minute penalty breaks Indian hearts in Hong Kong 13 KA repairs face delay as evaluation work lingers PWD’s August deadline hangs in balance THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Even as the Public Works Department (PWD) targets an August deadline to complete fresh repairs at the Kala Academy, work is yet to commence on the initial evaluation of the renovation carried out earlier at the iconic cultural hub. PWD Chief Engineer Vallabh Pai confirmed that the consultant appointed to assess the quality and performance of the previous repair work has not yet begun his evaluation. The delay has been attributed to a personal emergency. The consultant and his team are expected to begin work sometime after June 10. “The consultant, who was supposed to start in the first week of June, couldn’t make it due to personal reasons. He will begin work shortly,” said Chief Engineer Vallabh Pai. The consultant is expected to assess the quality of materials used and check whether the installations conform to relevant technical standards and safety regulations. Based on this assessment, he will prepare a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and recommend any necessary cor- The consultant, who was supposed to start in the first week of June, couldn’t make it due to personal reasons. He will begin work shortly — Vallabh Pai rective measures. The fresh round of repairs was ordered by the government after a technical expert committee flagged multiple deficiencies in the Rs 60-crore renovation project executed between 2021 and 2023. The panel reported critical flaws in the structure, includ- ing acoustic deficiencies, poor air-conditioning, substandard lighting and even concerns regarding the integrity of the theatre space. While the PWD has set August as the deadline for completing the repair work, officials admit the delay in evaluation could impact the schedule. “We are expected to finish by August, but with delays, it is difficult to say anything conclusively,” Pai said. “Once we get the report from the consultant, the process of issuing tenders will begin, which itself takes time,” he added. In the meantime, the Kala Academy management has been directed not to accept any theatre bookings for the months of July and August. TURNING MILES INTO MILESTONES GMC doctors call off strike PANAJI: The planned strike by doctors at GMC over Health Minister Vishwajit Rane tendering an apology to Dr Rudresh Kuttikar who he had verbally abused has been called off after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who personally went to the campus agreed to accept all their seven demands including one which sought a protocol to rid the premier tertiary health care institution of "VIP culture". The doctors agreed in their discussions with Sawant to accept an apology from the health minister.  >> See Pg 2 India stands tall with 66+ lakh km of roads-2nd largest in the world National Highways rose over 60% from 91,000 km to 1.46 lakh km Airports more than doubled-from 74 to 162 272 projects worth ₹1.41+ lakh crore completed under Sagarmala, expanding coastal networks and driving port-led development CBC 37101/13/0008/2526 National Waterways increased from 5 to 111; record 145+ MMT cargo movement in 2024, 8 times as compared to 2014 Metro Network expanded to 1,000+ km from 248 km in 2014, in 23 cities now as compared to only 5 in 2014 India is home to Atal Tunnel-world's longest high-altitude highway tunnel above 10,000 feet and Chenab Bridge-world’s highest rail arch bridge Rural road connectivity surges to 99% coverage 142 world-class Vande Bharat train services have become the face of modern railways, ensuring a fast and comfortable travel experience With Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, the dream of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari by rail is now a reality Redevelopment of 1300+ railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station scheme Viksit Bharat ka Amrit Kaal SAAL Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan ke 1.50+ crore people availed affordable air travel under UDAN