BERHAMPUR: Proper auditorium for staging cultural events in the Silk City remains a distant dream despite the fact that Berhampur happens to be the hub of cultural activities in southern Odisha.
While the Kabisurya Ranga Manch, the oldest auditorium here, has been closed down after it was damaged in Phailin last year, construction of Biju Patnaik Sanskrutika Bhawan has been going on at a snail’s pace at Hillpatna since 2004.
The Bhawan building will be housing the district culture centre besides having facilities such as ultra modern auditorium, conference halls, a library and a museum. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid its foundation stone on January 15, 2004. Initially, IDCO was entrusted with the building construction work, but it disassociated from the job on the plea that the soil was not fit for such construction. Government then handed over the construction to the Public Works Department in 2012. In the beginning, the construction estimate was `1.82 crore, but inordinate delay escalated the cost.
Mihir Tripathy, an artiste, said though there are a number of private auditoriums like Prakasham Hall, Gopal Krushan Ranga Manch in the city, those are lying dilapidated. The only option left is the Golden Jubilee Town Hall of Berhampur Municipal Corporation. “But the Corporation charges exorbitantly for the venue,” he said.
The Corporation charges `16,000 per day for the town hall. “This is why we opt to stage our week-long drama festival in makeshift open air stages,” Tripathy added.
On the other hand, the Kabisurya Ranga Manch, located on the premises of Utkal Ashram, was closed after the district was battered by Phailin in October, 2013. This was one of the most sought after auditoriums in the city.
Meanwhile, the city administration said work is on to complete the Biju Patnaik Sanskrutika Bhawan while the Public Works Department has been asked to prepare a renovation plan for the Kabisurya Ranga Manch.
A few days back, MLA Ramesh Chandra Chaupatnaik said the State Culture Department has agreed to provide `1 crore for renovation of the Ranga Manch in the first phase. Around `5 crore will be required for complete reconstruction of the 50-year-old Ranga Manch. During the renovation, the one-storey auditorium would be turned into two-storeys and have a seating capacity of 1,000. The renovated auditorium would have greenrooms and facilities to hold dance classes, drama rehearsals, meetings and seminars.
Chairman of Berhampur Development Authority, Subash Moharana, said on completion, Biju Patnaik Sanskrutika Bhawan and Kabisurya Ranga Manch would meet the requirements of the artistes of the city.