PANJIM: The historical Aguada jail may soon be the centre for hosting lighting, musical and art programmes, if State government agrees to hand over this former Central jail to Kala Academy (KA), which proposes to promote the area as tourist attraction at night.
The KA last month moved a proposal to the government requesting it to hand over the Aguada jail to the academy, which intends to develop it as centre for musical and light shows.
After the prisoners were shifted to the Colvale Correctional Home, the Aguada jail is vacant. The 17th century Aguada fort served as a reference point for the vessels coming in from Europe during the Portuguese era. The Fort was converted into a jail during the Portuguese rule and continued to be a prison for convicts in post-colonial Goa. A four-storey light house built on the fort in 1864 is said to be the oldest of its kind in Asia.
Speaking to Herald, KA Chairman Vishnu Wagh confirmed submitting the proposal to government. “The Jail and the fort have always served as a tourist spot. Now with inmates being shifted, the jail is lying vacant and we felt that the same can be occupied for further promotion of tourism as well as Kala Academy,” he said.
“The jail can be converted into centre for lighting, sound and musical shows. Local, national as well as international players can be invited for its promotion. The spot, at a later stage, can also be encouraged as wedding destination,” Wagh added.
Wagh said that the proposal intends to connect KA with the fort via a boating service from riverside from the KA jetty. “The KA jetty redevelopment project is stuck with Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, for past three years. We have requested government to hand over the project to KA,” he said.
When asked, the chairman said that they have the revenue to carry out renovation at their own cost and without any delay the project should be handed over to them from GSIDC. “These two projects will further boost revenue and promote KA at larger platform,” he said.
Until recently, there were talks about shifting the off-shore casino offices to Aguada jail, when the government intended to shift these vessels from River Mandovi to Aguada.
