TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council’s notice to raze down the 18th century structure which housed the Camara de Salcete before the Municipal building was shifted to the present location over a century ago, has spurred historians, activists and politicians to launch a movement to save the heritage structure.
Former Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho, during whose tenure in 2009 the Margao Municipality had set in motion the process to acquire the heritage structure to save the same for posterity, has invited like-minded people to join hands for protecting and preserving the city’s rich heritage.
In this connection, a meeting has been convened on Sunday at 4 pm at the Margao Municipal hall to discuss ways and means to save the heritage structure. Noted historian Prof Prajal Sakhardande, Arch. Sarto Almeida, Eng. Jose Lourenco and others are expected to attend the meeting and speak on the historical significance of the building. “The old Municipal Building located at Old Market, Near Holy Spirit Church, has a lot of historical significance. This building which was built in 1778 housed the then Camara de Salcete,” he added.
Coutinho lamented that after his exit from the Municipality, the file prepared to move a proposal to the government to acquire the land to save both the old Municipal building and the ancestral house of Dr Francis Luis Gomes were confined to the Municipal record books. “But since the Municipality has now plans to raze down the structure on safety grounds, many people feel that the heritage building should be protected for posterity,” he said.
