VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM: Six of Goa’s important tourism and heritage sites could soon be branded with logos of private players that have been selected to operate them under the government’s new heritage management project.
The Union Ministry of Tourism’s project “Adopt a Heritage” allowing private and public sector corporations to adopt most of India’s top heritage sites has, however, not gone down well with heritage lovers in the State. While it has drawn mixed reactions, the emphasis is on private players not being allowed to misuse the project or tamper with the heritage structures.
Historian and heritage activist Sanjeev Sardesai equated the situation to being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. “It’s a choice between devil and the deep blue sea. The reason being that we have a lot of related departments at the State and Centre, but nobody does their work though crores of rupees have been sanctioned. The need for corporate adoption arose so that bureaucrats feel they can find their own accountability,” he stated, demanding that the government policy should ensure that the scheme is not misused by private parties.
“It is good that some private parties are taking interest in this project but until there is a clear cut notification or a policy by the ministry, it could prove harmful. They (private firms) might take their own decision and misuse the structures, which in fact cannot be altered. The commercial party might take advantage of no policy being in place,” he feared.
On the other hand, another noted heritage activist Prajal Sakhadande supports the initiative but with a rider. He is of the opinion that while maintenance and upkeep of the structures could be taken up by private firms, control over the monuments or any tourist location should not be handed over to the corporate.
“The project should not pass entire control from the government to private hands. It should be on a temporary basis and without any tampering or alterations to the heritage structures, in particular. We also don’t want a situation like in the Tiracol Fort wherein public movement is restricted. Let there be free movement of the public and maintenance of these sites be carried out without any tampering,” he stated.
But there are others who are against any corporate aid. “It is a bad concept. They (private firms) may ruin the value of heritage of the protected monuments and other touristic locations. I don’t support this scheme. The Central and the State governments have good systems in place, let us make use of those machineries rather than going for corporate adoption,” an ardent heritage lover Tomas Rodrigues told Herald.
The issue has taken a political turn with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also raising objections. “It is time for the ruling BJP and its partners, as well as the voiceless opposition, to be booted out from the State for promoting false Goemkarponn for the sake of power. Now they admit that they cannot protect our monuments and want to sell them to outsiders in the name of adoption,” reads a press statement released by the party.
Under the scheme, some of structures including the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) protected world-heritage monument Basilica of Bom Jesus will now be easily accessible to private firms to carry out maintenance tasks. The six locations in Goa are among 90-odd tourist attractions up for corporate adoption.
As per details shared with Herald, the companies will be responsible for building, operating and maintaining tourism infrastructure at the selected monuments and natural heritage sites. The infrastructure includes providing amenities like toilets, drinking water, accessibility for the disabled, signages, audio guides, illumination, canteens, ticketing and maintenance of cleanliness and security.
