KOLKATA: The state government will give a makeover to the
Rabindra Sadan campus on the lines of
National Centre for Performing Arts (
NCPA), Mumbai. After
Mamata Banerjee became the chief minister in 2011, she asked the Centre for partial funding of the project. “But the lukewarm response from the Centre has prompted the state to go ahead with the project alone. Pegged at approximately Rs 400 crore, it will promote India’s culture and heritage to the international audience,” said a source.
“It was her (Mamata Banerjee) dream project and we wrote to the Centre time and again with all the plans and cost details, but there was no response. Recently, she asked the finance and information and cultural affairs departments to see if financial arrangements can be made,” a senior official said. “We will start the process of making the detailed project report soon and the project is likely is take off after the completion of Baruipur Film City,” he added.
Inaugurated in 1969, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, was the first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia. Built on more than 3200 acres of land reclaimed from the sea, the NCPA campus houses five theatres, galleries, libraries, restaurants and several reception arenas.
“According to the present plan there will be three auditoriums, galleries, libraries, cafeteria and an information centre,” the official said.
“We already have Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala, Academy of Fine Arts,
Rabindra Sadan and four auditoriums at Nandan. We need to restructure them and make them modern. We have plans to remodel the library inside Nandan and the
West Bengal Bangla Academy,” the official added.
When asked about funding, the official said, “Four years ago when our chief minister devised the plan the official estimate was pegged at around Rs 400 crore but there has been an escalation and we need to recalculate the budget.”
