Staging productions at the five-decade old Ravindra Kalakshetra has become a troublesome affair because of the delay in upgrading light and acoustics in the auditorium.
The delay is attributed to the reluctance of the Public Works Department (PWD) to upgrade the lighting and acoustics system under the Combined Quality-cum-Cost Based System (a standard specified by the Union Finance Ministry).
While the technical committee constituted to upgrade the present light and acoustic system at the auditorium was firm on engaging a qualified technical consultant to offer suggestions towards the improvement, officials of the PWD were not in favour of that.
However, the issue was finally resolved recently with the government approving a proposal to hire the services of Rahul Samuel – an award-winning live sound engineer and founder of LiveEnd.
D.K. Chouta, chairperson of the Technical Committee, told The Hindu that the committee was not ready to accept the tender floated by the PWD without adapting quality-cum-cost based system. “The PWD finally relented when the committee refused to compromise,” he said.
Mr. Samuel would offer his recommendations on the procurement of the right equipment that would help make Ravindra Kalakshetra, a state-of-the-art auditorium.
To be closed again
Once the report is ready and approved, the Kalakshetra would be closed for two months to complete the renovations, said a senior official in the Department of Kannada and Culture. The Kalakshetra, which was closed for six months, was thrown open for public on July 10, after completion of civil works.
The delay in modernisation has impacted the plans of the government to celebrate the golden jubilee celebration of Ravindra Kalakshetra, which turned 50 in 2013.
