PANAJI
The State, where history whispers through ancient stones and crumbling forts, is waiting for the promise of a Heritage Policy to be fulfilled -- exactly a year since Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Phal Desai announced plans for a comprehensive policy. The current rain havoc has actually shown the urgency for this policy, which could help preserve the remaining heritage buildings along with other structures and artefacts.
A 15-member Monitoring Committee, constituted in December 2023, has convened only once.
Speaking to The Goan, a senior bureaucrat confirmed that the drafting process has begun but is not yet complete. “It’s a lengthy process, considering that everything needs to be taken into account including the sentiments of the people. The Committee has met once during which several modalities were discussed, and each member is currently working on their assigned tasks,” he said in defense over the delay.
Responding to a discussion on a private member's resolution jointly moved by Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Cruz Silva during monsoon session last year, Phal Desai stated the process of drafting the heritage policy was ongoing.
“The policy aims to add more monuments and sites to the State’s protected list and provide a mechanism for their maintenance. We will open it up to the public and all stakeholders for inputs,” he was quoted as saying.
As of now, Goa has 51 monuments of archaeological importance protected under the ‘State list’ and another 21 under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Besides these, the State boasts around 415 heritage buildings under the Town & Country Planning Act. In all, there are roughly 600-700 heritage structures across Goa.
However, with the State already facing heavy monsoon rains, many neglected or deteriorating structures are at risk of collapse while some dilapidated buildings have also given in to rain this time.
Sources revealed to The Goan that while the maintenance of these structures, excluding monuments, falls under the jurisdiction of other agencies including the Town & Country Planning; the upcoming policy will address these concerns.
The official admitted that some structures have already weakened and are succumbing to the rains. A portion of the ancestral house of the great Goan nationalist Dr Francisco Luis Gomes at Colmorod-Navelim and the crumbling Social Welfare office in Panaji that recently saw the collapse of a false ceiling are just two incidents.
The source stated that the upcoming policy will cater not only to monuments, caves and forts currently under the Archaeology department but also to heritage structures, sculptures, stones, cultural heritage, intangible heritage and more. “All of this is being considered with the sentiments of the local community and people in mind, as many of these sites are also worshipped," the source revealed.
Coordination among departments however remains a challenge. For some weakened monuments, as a temporary measure, the Archaeology department covered its fragile portions with tarpaulin ahead of the monsoon whereas there is little information about the heritage buildings under the jurisdiction of other departments.
“Repairs, restorations and periodic maintenance of protected archaeological monuments are done by the Government, through the Department of Archaeology. For other public structures which are old and need repairs, the Government has mandated Public Works Department,” former Assistant Superintendent Archaeologist Varad Sabnis stated.
