Team Herald
PORVORIM: A day after the Se Old Goa Village Panchayat said that it was ‘clueless’ about the construction work in Old Goa, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday admitted in Assembly that the file on the project had not been submitted to the panchayat for approval.
Replying to a calling attention motion tabled by MLA Rajesh Faldessai, he said, “We had not submitted the project file to the Se Old Goa Panchayat, but we had given our presentation regarding amenities convenience centre to the gram sabha meeting held on October 29, 2023. If the church authorities tell us not to go ahead with the project, we will not go ahead.”
Earlier, in a written reply Khaunte said that the Department of Tourism had obtained permissions from Archaeological Survey of India, National Monuments Authority, Town and Country Planning and Forest Departments for creation of pilgrim convenience facilities and green transport at Old Goaunder the Centre’s PRASAD scheme.
“Representatives from the Tourism Department made a presentation before the Se Old Goa Gram Sabha during which the Gram Sabha asked the representatives to consider pilgrim centre, extra amenities like laterite stone footpath behind Basilica of Bom Jesus and act on the main road between the Church and the Se Cathedral Church. This has been approved by the Gram Sabha through a resolution,” he said.
Khaunte reiterated that after cannon balls were found at the spot, work had been stopped at the spot, as per ASI’s directives.
Protesters demand Master Plan for heritage zone
Allege that 100 trucks had carted off materials from excavated site, call for return of items
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Save Old Goa Action Committee (SOGAC) on Tuesday stood firm on its demand for a comprehensive Master Plan for the Old Goa world heritage site and pressed for the return of the materials that had been carted off from the excavated site last week.
Speaking to the media in the presence of parishioners and committee members, SOGAC coordinator Peter Viegas alleged that the excavation work was carried out within the prohibited area.
Referring to Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte’s statement that the department of tourism had obtained necessary permissions, he pointed out that Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane was making a different statement. He questioned why excavated material was taken through another road along the river bank and pointed out that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) did not depute an expert during excavation and allowed the contractor to destroy the protected area.
Viegas said, “We have filed a police complaint on Saturday. Our demand is that the police should find out where the materials, including cannonballs, have been taken and kept. The cannonballs and other materials have been robbed by the contractor from the excavated site,” he alleged.
He said that since cannonballs have been discovered and ongoing work has been stopped, the government authorities should immediately revoke the permissions.
According to Viegas, nearly 100 trucks had transported the material from the excavated site for four days till it was stopped on Saturday evening.
He demanded that the government should stop unwanted projects at Old Goa.
“We demand heritage master plan with demarcation of buffer zone of National and State monuments as per Regional Plan,” he said.
When it was brought to their notice that representatives from Archdioceses had attended two stakeholders meeting, Jacquelene Fernandes argued that the Church was not the licensing authority.