PANAJI
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has conveyed to South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed and submitted detailed survey plans demarcating prohibited and regulated zones around Goa’s protected monuments.
Responding to the MP’s letter dated July 29, 2025, the Minister stated that 21 protected monuments fall under the jurisdiction of the ASI’s Goa Circle, and survey plans for 17 of them — outlining protected, prohibited (100 metres) and regulated (200 metres) areas — have been finalised.
South Goa MP had urged the Union Ministry to expedite the demarcation of buffer zones around all 21 nationally protected monuments in Goa and ensure their inclusion in the Goa Regional Plan.
“It is informed that a total of 21 protected monuments fall under the jurisdiction of Goa circle of ASI. Survey plans for 17 of these monuments, covering protected, prohibited and regulated areas have been prepared and the corresponding prohibited (100m) and regulated (200m) zones have been properly established in the survey plans,” Shekhawat said.
Shekhawat further said that these survey plans have been shared with the Chief Town Planner as the department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) is the competent authority for scrutinising construction-related proposals within these zones. The TCP has also notified the information in the Gazette of Goa.
Shekhawat noted that formulation of the Goa Regional Plan is a State subject, and the concerned departments may incorporate ASI’s data into the plan to ensure effective regulation and planning around heritage structures.
“The concerned department may superimpose the ASI provided data on the RP to ensure effective regulation and planning around protected monuments,” he said.
Reiterating the Centre’s commitment to safeguarding India’s cultural heritage, the Minister assured the MP that the concerns regarding clarity on buffer zone demarcation are duly recognised and appreciated.
The MP in his letter had said that homeowners living near these monuments are facing difficulties in obtaining approvals for routine repairs and extensions due to ambiguity over zone boundaries.
He had requested the Ministry to issue directives to ensure that buffer zones and no-development zones around national monuments are formally identified and later integrated into the state’s Regional Plan.
