ROHAN SHRIVASTAV
rohan@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The age-old Adil Shah Palace (now Old Secretariat) in the capital city, which houses government offices, is in a dilapidated condition, and crying for the attention of the State administration.
On Thursday when the Team Herald visited the Adil Shah Palace, it found trash and discarded things dumped and two-wheelers parked inside this historical palace.
The concrete pillars have developed cracks endangering the stability of the building, wooden floors are broken and damaged and also some of the wooden beams. An open area within the historical building is infested with overgrown grass and bushes.
The offices of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), Goa State Museum and Kala Academy function from the Adil Shah Palace. However, this building is presently in the possession of the Directorate of Art and Culture.
Historian Prajal Sakhardande said that the authorities are treating this historical importance landmark like a “dustbin and a godown.”
“Adil Shah Palace is a landmark for the whole of Goa. Such a historically important landmark is being treated as a dustbin and a godown. In the gallery things are dumped giving it a look of a store house. It needs to be given its due importance and proper historical significance has to be respected,” Sakhardande said.
“I appeal to the government to treat it like a proper historical monument and it will be better if the Directorate of Archaeology takes it over and maintains and conserves it,” he added.
Sarkhardande further said that the government should consider making Adil Shah Palace a centre of cultural significance or a historical gallery exhibiting the history of Goa right from ancient times.
Director of Art and Culture Sagun Velip told Herald that the respective departments have to maintain cleanliness and said that the areas that have become dangerous have not been allotted to any department.
“We have asked Kala Academy officers to ensure that the dangerous area of Adil Shah Palace is cordoned off. I will check and take required action against the persons who are parking their two-wheelers inside the premises,” Velip said.
Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude said that the government will soon take up the restoration and refurbishment work of Adil Shah Palace.
“We have initiated the process of handing over this property to the General Administrative Department (GAD). The maintenance part should have been also looked after by the government departments operating from Adil Shah Palace. Anyways, we have already asked PWD to prepare the estimate for restoration work of the Old Secretariat building and I assure you that we will restore this historical building,” Gaude said.
