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Curtains Down on Renovation: Theatre association questions delay in auditorium revamp in Lucknow
The renovation works on the auditorium had been stalled for two years. Later, in January this year, slow progress was observed on this front.
LUCKNOW The Theatre and Film Welfare Association (TFWA) of Lucknow held a press conference here in Hazratganj on Sunday to address the lack of action on the part of the state department of culture in renovating and maintaining the Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium situated in Qaiser Bagh.
The renovation works on the auditorium had been stalled for two years. Later, in January this year, slow progress was observed on this front. Significantly, department officials had then claimed that the maintenance work and renovations would be completed within months.
Both the caretaker of the venue for over 30 years, RK Dubey, and Sarita Srivastav, the culture department officer in charge, had claimed that the work would be finished by March 2023. However, over six months later, theatre associations and performers in the city are questioning when the city’s affordable production and performance stage will be back on the market in proper shape.
“It was one of the very few, perhaps the only accessible auditorium that was directly run by the culture department but the chief secretary has decided to transfer control to Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya,” said Dabir Siddiqui, secretary of TFWA.
According to the association, the rent for the auditorium will significantly rise following this transfer of responsibility, limiting access for many theatre groups and performers in the city. Since 2001, the auditorium could be rented for theatre performances for 12 hours at ₹3,000 and for cultural programs for 8 hours at ₹5,000.
“Hardly any beautification and maintenance work has been done, despite the department’s claim that they had a budget of ₹5 crore for all the work,” added Siddiqui. At the time the renovations began in January, Srivastav had mentioned that the department had no information regarding a merger with Bhatkhande.
