PANAJI
Another construction controversy has erupted in Old Goa’s heritage precincts. Preliminary construction activity has begun for three ground plus one “farmhouses” on orchard land close to the Monte Chapel, sparking outrage among local residents and heritage activists.
The Save Old Goa Action Committee has announced a protest on July 19 at 10.30 am, alleging that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department has approved plans for these structures.
The Committee members claim each farmhouse has 15 rooms and a “cattle bathing pond” in their front yards, which they suspect are disguised swimming pools.
“All three plans are in the names of individuals from Rajasthan and Delhi. How did TCP approve them without concurrence from the Archives and Archaeology department, given that the Monte Chapel is a notified monument?” a committee office bearer asked.
The property spans nearly 50,000 square metres and is zoned as Orchard land under the Regional Plan. The Committee argued that such approvals violate planning norms and threaten the sanctity of Old Goa’s heritage landscape.
This fresh row comes even as the earlier controversy over a plush ground plus one bungalow in the same precinct remains unresolved. That bungalow, belonging to BJP leader and celebrity N C Shaina but which had subsequently been sold to a third party, was alleged to be illegally constructed near UNESCO notified heritage sites.
The matter is currently entangled in quasi judicial proceedings, leaving the structure in freeze mode.
The bungalow case had triggered widespread protests and petitions five years ago, with heritage defenders warning of irreversible damage to Old Goa’s heritage and cultural fabric.
The fresh farmhouse approvals, activists said, shows that the government has not learnt from the earlier uproar.
Old Goa, once the heart of Portuguese India, is home to monuments of global significance. The Monte Chapel, like the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral, forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble and conservationists insist that unchecked construction in its vicinity undermines both heritage protection and planning law. With the Save Old Goa Action Committee mobilising again, the stage is set for another confrontation between citizens and the State over the future of Goa’s most treasured heritage site.
