Team Herald
PANJIM: Initiating steps towards obtaining hard copies of documents pertaining to Goa from Portugal, the State government has decided to seek help from the people of Goan origin, holding the top position in the Portugal government.
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Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Finance Minister and Planning Minister, all are of Goan origin.
Speaking to media persons on Monday, the Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Phaldesai said that the process has started through the Ministry of External Affairs, NRI commission, and Portuguese embassy, to obtain documents pertaining to Goa.
“The process to get the documents in our possession has started. Initially, they (Portugal) had sent us CDs but what we are looking for are hard copies. We will try to obtain those documents with the help of the Goan-origin people who are in the Portugal government. They are holding some of the top positions in the government,” Phaldesai said.
“These documents are related to Goa. If we get them physically for any evidence purpose, then we need hard copies,” he explained.
The Minister said that government is ready to sign an agreement with the Portuguese government to obtain these documents.
According to Phaldesai, documents of people related to their properties, births and deaths are missing. “If we get access to those documents, then it will benefit them. I will try to get possession of these documents in the next three to four months,” he said.
Phaldesai had earlier claimed that secrets about Portuguese reigns in the State might be revealed through these documents.
It was Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant who had directed the concerned department to persuade the Portuguese government into handing over documents related to Portugal’s colonial regime in the state.
