Team Herald
PANJIM: In a surprising move, the Old Goa Police Station was shifted to the Exposition Secretariat in Old Goa on Saturday. The decision has sparked discontent among parishioners and activists, who point out that the structure was temporarily built and had to be demolished after the Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier.
Raising apprehensions that this structure could be a permanent structure within a heritage area, they have demanded that the police station be shifted to some other location.
The structure where the current police station was housed will be demolished to construct a new police station building. At the time of laying of the foundation stone for the new police station on September 18, 2023, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had stated that the new police station will be ready within a year ahead of the Exposition. But the work got delayed and there were reports that the police station would be temporarily shifted to Santa Cruz outpost premises.
Taking strong objection to move, activist John Mascarenhas said, “All the structures including Exposition Secretariat were temporarily built and had to be dismantled within 10 days upon conclusion of the Exposition, which ended on January 5 this year.”
He said, “The very next day I wrote to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) about the temporary works to be dismantled and on January 28, 2025, the ASI Goa Circle wrote to the Secretary (Revenue), who was also the Commissioner for Exposition about the non-compliance of the terms of conditions.”
According to Mascarenhas, the PWD which had carried out components/works had failed to comply with the certain terms of conditions put by the ASI (Monuments II Section) except the permanent toilet block near Se Cathedral. The State government authorities were asked to remove the works immediately. The ASI (Monuments II Section) had clearly stated that all the works for the Exposition were of temporary nature only except permanent toilet block.
Mascarenhas further said that the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which is hearing his PIL writ petition had noted various breaches committed by the authorities and has asked all the respondents including the Old Goa Police to file their affidavits by June 17.
“It is the same arsenal area where the ASI has asked the Goa Tourism to stop excavation following discovery of cannonballs,” Mascarenhas said.
Sava Old Goa Action Committee coordinator Peter Viegas said, “Old Goa police station was shifted to the Exposition Secretariat after performing pooja. This Exposition Secretariat was built with laterite stones a month before the decennial Exposition started. On Monday, we will write to all the authorities raising our strong objections to the shifting of police station in the Exposition Secretariat. It is an irony that on one hand we are fighting to demolish illegal structures and here the government is violating the terms of conditions.
Social activist Samil Volvoikar said, “I fail to understand why the police station has been shifted to the Exposition Secretariat which was to be removed after the Exposition? Now the police station will continue for the next two years till the new building is ready and there will be a lot of movement of vehicles and people inside the heritage area and there is every apprehension that this structure will be a permanent structure within a heritage area. I demand that the police station should be shifted to some other location.”