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Yavatmal auditorium to be unveiled by Aug 15

 Media Coverage  |  08-03-2022

Vijay Darda’s follow-up yields positive results

Decks finally cleared for devp of amenities

With Yavatmal boasting of a grand cultural heritage, it was often felt that it needed a well-equipped auditorium to showcase the local talent.

The chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha Vijay Darda followed it up with the state government and got one and a half acres of agriculture department land at the bus stand chowk free of cost. However, the work which started with a bang after the ground-breaking ceremony, was delayed due to various reasons. Vijay Darda had to try again to galvanise the construction of the auditorium.

Darda lamented the delay in the construction of the auditorium during the governor’s programme on November 25, 2021. Since then, the district guardian minister Sandipan Bhumre has taken this issue seriously and the work of the auditorium has gained momentum again. At present, the tender process for the work of internal amenities is underway and this process is going to be completed as soon as possible to ensure that the auditorium is ready by August 15, said the CEO of the Yavatmal municipal council.

Realising the need for having a well-equipped auditorium in Yavatmal, the then chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde had sanctioned the same for Yavatmal with the aim of promoting the theatre culture and providing a platform to the local artists. The then member of Rajya Sabha Vijay Darda got renowned Mumbai-based architect Uttam Jain to design this auditorium to make it unique. Even after the commencement of the work, Darda continued to follow it up with the then chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde and that is why the work had gained momentum. However, due to paucity of funds and change of government in the intervening period, the construction of the auditorium came to a grinding halt, much to the disappointment of Vijay Darda.

Therefore, when the governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari visited Yavatmal on November 25, 2021, Vijay Darda expressed his displeasure and pain over the delay in execution of the project and urged the governor to intervene to get the work restarted. He also urged the governor to take the initiative for the completion of the auditorium. The district guardian minister Sandipan Bhumre, who was present on the occasion, had assured that the work would be completed within a year and that there would be no dearth of funds for this project. Accordingly, the district guardian minister Bhumre sanctioned a fund of `3.18 crore from the district planning fund by drafting a budget of the incomplete works. Besides, regular meetings of the officers concerned were held to speed up the work. The hardwork and dedication finally bore fruits and the 1000 seat-capacity auditorium, whose work was held up for the last 20 years, is now nearing completion.

Theatre movement to gain momentum

Yavatmal which boasts of a rich cultural heritage, has seen many artists from the city making their mark at the state as well as national level. The inauguration of this magnificent state-of-the-art auditorium will give impetus to the theatre art form not only in Yavatmal but in the entire Vidarbha region. This auditorium will prove to be a medium for the cultural revival in Vidarbha.

Vijay Darda, with the cooperation of governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, approached the departments concerned in Mantralaya from time to time to get the work done. As of now, the works like stagecraft, acoustics, painting, chair fitting, sound system, landscaping are proposed in the auditorium. Efforts are being made to expedite the tender process for all the above works in time. The CEO of Yavatmal municipal council Madhuri Madavi recently held a meeting and gave an ultimatum to the officers concerned to complete the work as soon as possible so that this auditorium is dedicated to the people during the Independence Day programme on August 15.

The work of developing amenities in this auditorium in Yavatmal is going on apace.

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