MARGAO
As the entrance to the Betul Fort caved in due to the heavy rains, locals as well as heritage lovers slammed the government to stop paying lip service, but instead restore the fort to its pristine glory at the earliest.
They feared that the fort, which was built by Chatrapati Shivaji, may give way one day if the government does not restore the fort on priority.
A local resident Pandari told the media that waterlogging has taken place right at the fort area, saying that failure to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the place may affect the fort as well.
Pandari said Archives Minister Subhash Phaldesai should take urgent steps to protect the fort from crumbling. “Over a year ago, our villagers had all assembled at the fort when Chief Minister Pramod Sawat and Minister Subhash Phaldesai and others came here to commemorate Shivaji coronation. This year, not many people turned up for the function since they did not find any renovation works at the fort,” he added.
Heritage lover Yogesh Nagvenkar said the collapse of the entrance area to the fort is a warning bell to the authorities to act immediately before it is too late. “It is now becoming a trend and a fashion to commemorate Shivaji’s coronation, but they have no passion to renovate and restore the Betul fort,” he said.
He added: “Everyone call themselves Shiv Premis, but they should come and see the state of affairs of the Betul Fort. This fort is lying in a dilapidated state. The Chief Minister has been coming to the fort for the last two years along with Archives Minister Subhash Phaldesai, but the ground reality has not changed for the better.”
Yogesh dared the Archives Minister to restore the Betul Fort to its rich glory by 2023, saying the government should either get the land transferred from the Customs department to the Goa government or seek permission from the customs to renovate the fort.
