Team Herald
PANJIM: The Save Old Goa Action Committee (SOGAC) on Monday red flagged alleged illegal developmental works mushrooming in the heritage zone at Old Goa and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanding a comprehensive master plan to protect the historical integrity of the area before the Exposition.
Speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandum, SOGAC coordinator Peter Viegas said, “We have urged the chief minister that a master plan be announced and the projects which are to come at the world heritage site should be scrapped. The question is where will be the provision for parking if these projects are allowed to come up?.”
Jacqueline Fernandes, a parishioner of Old Goa and a member of Save Old Goa Action Committee, said, “Today we have submitted objection letters with 4500 signatures as part of our campaign and have demanded for a master plan for Old Goa since a lot of projects are coming up at the UNESCO site and without a masterplan, we will not be in a position to know what is coming up.”
Pointing out that 12 projects are coming up within the vicinity of Old Goa, Fernandes urged the people to download forms from the Facebook page of Save Old Goa Action Committee and forward it to the Chief Minister with their signatures raising their objection to it in heritage site.
“It will help us in demanding a master plan before the exposition,” she said.
“The projects which are coming up in the area include four farm houses with ten bedrooms each, a floating jetty, illegal bungalow, illegal construction of road touching the walls of St Xavier Francis Chapel, heritage interpretation centre, garbage treatment plant, chocolate exhibition centre, IPB laterite centre, former MLAs bunglow, helipad and sound pollution. I do not think these projects are required in Old Goa. There is no need to pollute the area.”