PANJIM: Amidst opposition, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the new Goa Raj Bhavan building at Dona Paula, adjacent to the existing 450-year-old Governor’s house.
Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister for State for Tourism Shirpad Naik, and Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
The new building is being constructed on the premises of the existing Raj Bhavan, which was constructed during the erstwhile Portuguese rule. The facility is been constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD).
In the new Raj Bhavan, aspects of rainwater harvesting, use of solar energy and other elements of green building have been added. It will also have elements of Goan architecture such as sloping roofs, plaster and stucco mouldings, a heritage look and balcony design.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said that it was an auspicious moment in the history of Goa and he feels immense pleasure to inform that the existing Raj Bhavan is been declared a national monument.
The Governor said that the new building will not destroy the present building as it is a national monument and nobody has the right to change any part of it.
“Our Raj Bhavan is a national monument but to see this monument people are not getting opportunities due to different reasons like security and other strict conditions. It is difficult for ordinary people to easily visit the Raj Bhawan,” he said.
“Once the new facility is ready, the old Raj Bhavan will be thrown open for the public to visit,” he said adding that it was the President of India, who had earlier suggested to him that if possible, should discuss with the chief minister and others and try to construct a new Raj Bhavan.
“The existing Raj Bhavan is more than 450 years old. It is stable, but at the same time, a process is on in all states for the construction of new governor houses,” he said.
The existing facility was initially built in the form of a chapel in 1540 and subsequently, in 1541, the chapel was built along with the present-day structure.
The opposition Congress and certain sections of the society are opposing the construction of the new Raj Bhavan, citing the poor financial condition of the State.
In his address, the Chief Minister spoke of how the State government is implementing the Central Government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan programme via its Swayampurna Goa initiatives toward making Goa and the nation self-reliant. He said that the government is committed to ensuring that the maximum benefit of Central schemes and centrally sponsored schemes reach the people.
