The option of saying no to the scheme, especially when it came to Old Goa was there. We have discussed it in detail and we have decided not to say no to the scheme---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Vijai Sardesai
PANAJI: Minister of Archives and Archaeology Vijai Sardesai announced that the State would not oppose the central government’s “Adopt a Heritage” scheme.
Addressing media persons after a meeting with stakeholders including representatives of the Goa Archdiocese, the Rector of the Basilica of Bom Jesus which is managed by the Jesuits, the Archaeological Survey of India, the Tourism Department and the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, Sardesai said that it was unanimously felt that if adequate safeguards are put in place, there will be no objection to such private involvement in maintenance of heritage structures.
“It is about preserving the monument on international standards. That is the intention of this scheme. So handing over of the monument, the way the media itself has portrayed, is a bit misleading. Basically, [the private party is not given access to] the core areas of the monument. So the question of endangering the monument does not arise,” Sardesai said.
“After discussing the pros and cons of the scheme. It has been unanimously felt that we should not say no to the scheme. The option of saying no to the scheme, especially when it came to Old Goa was there. We have discussed it in detail and we have decided that not to say no to the scheme,” Sardesai said.
“It is not only the government, it is the representatives of the Archdiocese, the Rector of the Bom Jesu, the Parish priest of the Se Cathedral. By and large, we have reached a conclusion that this 'Adopt a heritage scheme' is in the interest to Goa if implemented properly,” Sardesai said.
Sardesai said that of crucial importance is the MoU that will be signed between the parties and that the State government would insist that the Religious Body which owns the monument will have to first give a NOC before the MoU can be signed.
“We want that the MoU should have a NOC which will be issued by the Church. The NOC will have to be discussed have several conditions we want to be involved in the NOC which will make further problems impossible. So the interest of everybody -- state, religious monument, the interest of the institution that runs the monument, the interest of the ASI and also the party which will be involved in upkeep will be protected,” Sardesai said.
“I had come with the intention of saying ‘No’. But on understanding the scheme, we believe that the scheme is beneficial can be used to harness more footfalls and increasing the carrying capacity of our monuments by upgrading them to international standards. This is the unanimous view. I think that settles the issue,” Sardesai said.
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Vijai incorrectly claims
Cong opposed scheme
PANAJI: Vijai Sardesai used the opportunity to take a dig at state Congress president Girish Chodankar saying that the party was speaking in two voices on the issue which is an ‘inherent contradiction of the party’. “Our state Congress president is opposing this monument, but the former prime minister is on record supporting this. This is the inherent contradictions of the Congress party,” Sardesai said adding that the Congress too had handed over heritage monuments to private parties to manage.
However, Girish while speaking to media persons had made it clear that the “Congress was opposed to handing over heritage monuments ownership and possessions to a private party, but if it was only for giving maintenance under CSR, the party had no problem with it.
The party had also made it clear that when they targeted the Vijai Sardesai and Manohar “Babu” Ajgaonkar who claimed that they were in the dark, they were out to prove that they were not really in the dark.
