Shah Jahan didn't float tender for Taj Mahal, why should I for govt project: Goa minister Govind Gaude

PORVORIM: Minister for art and culture Govind Gaude clutched at a 17th century Mughal emperor to justify Kala Academy's renovation work being handed over to a contractor, without floating a tender.
Replying to a question tabled by Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai who alleged that Rs 56 crore was being spent without a tender, Gaude defended himself, and the government, by claiming that even Shah Jahan did not call for "quotations" before building the Taj Mahal in Agra.
One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built by emperor Shah Jahan for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal.
"You may have visited the Taj Mahal in Agra that was built between 1632 and 1653. Have you ever wondered why the Taj Mahal looks beautiful and pristine till this date? It is because Shah Jahan did not invite quotations to carry out the works," Gaude told the state legislative assembly during Question Hour on Wednesday.
Situated on the banks of the Mandovi in Panaji, the Kala Academy is the state's premier art and culture institution.
Sardesai alleged that the work was awarded without following due tender process in violation of the Central Public Works Department rules. The Kala Academy was built at a cost of Rs 4 crore in 1980, while the estimated work cost is Rs 39.6 crore, according to a reply tabled by the minister.