CANACONA: The Mahajans of Shri Mallikarjun Devalaya at Avem-Khotigao have appealed to Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant to reinstate the cancelled work order for the temple’s beautification and renovation project, saying the decision has delayed an important development initiative.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the temple committee said the Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (GTDCL) withdrew the work order issued to contractor Allabaksh Mulla following objections raised over the award of the contract.
Temple committee president Sahil Dessai maintained that the controversy had been given a communal angle because the successful bidder was from the Muslim community. He clarified that the contract was awarded through the prescribed tender process and that the actual execution of the project would be handled by experienced Hindu sub-contractor Jagdish Bhat, who has previously worked on temple restoration projects.
Dessai questioned why contractors from different communities should be barred from participating in government tenders related to temples, noting that similar projects at several temples in Goa, including the main Shri Mallikarjun Temple at Shristhal, had been executed by contractors from various backgrounds.
Urging the Chief Minister to intervene, Dessai requested the government to review the condition of the 350-year-old temple and permit the project to proceed without further delay. He also appealed to the government not to be influenced by what he described as misleading and politically motivated claims.
Mahajan, panch and former Khotigao Sarpanch Anandu Desai said the government had approved ₹12 crore for the temple’s overall renovation and beautification, with the first phase worth ₹5.42 crore already awarded through the tender process. He clarified that the project does not involve any alterations to the sanctum sanctorum or the main temple structure but focuses on improving and beautifying the temple premises in two phases.
He added that traditional purification rituals would be performed after the completion of the works, in keeping with established temple customs.
Mahajan Rohit Desai and other temple representatives also urged the government to revoke the cancellation of the work order and allow the long-pending renovation project to commence at the earliest.
