MAPUSA
Minister for Archives Subhash Phaldessai on Wednesday said the State government will soon take up restoration work of the Chapora Fort, which will help in increasing the touristic significance of the place.
Phaldessai informed that the restoration and beautification work of the fort has been tendered at Rs 2.6 crore.
“We have taken up work to restore the fort and while doing the restoration we want to keep its natural beauty. Therefore, the work will not involve the normal cement and mortar service. We will create the required infra without touching the beauty of this place. We will explore all possibilities so that the fort is maintained well and it will serve for a longer period,” Phaldessai said.
He further said that Shivaji Maharaj or Shambaji Maharaj had an eye on this historic fort.
“There are facts that Shambaji Maharaj had taken cognisance of this beautiful fort which had caught his imagination. He had set up his army or machinery here and we cannot just ignore that,” he said.
The Minister for Archives was addressing the media during his visit cum inspection to the picturesque Chapora Fort in the village of Anjuna along with department officials. Siolim MLA, Delilah Lobo, Anjuna Sarpanch Laxmidas Chimulkar, panchayat members and local residents were also present.
Phaldessai warned that while carrying out restoration work, all shop owners and vendors in the area will be displaced, which may hurt the interest of the elected representatives in the area.
He, however, assured that all those who will be displaced will be rehabilitated once the restoration work was completed.
“We will have to clean the entire area around the fort and make it plastic free. While doing this, we may have to remove the vendors and other people doing business here, which may go against the local MLA and the panchayat. But I assure the MLA and the panchayat members that we will allocate places to all those who are displaced after the restoration work is complete,” he said.
He said since the fort has touristic significance it was necessary to provide better facilities here.
“We will take inputs from local MLA and the panchayat and with their suggestions we will improvise this touristic site. We will work a plan to restore the fort so that footfalls increase and it benefits the locals doing business here,” he said.
The minister informed plans of setting up parking and an entertainment zone in the area has already been discussed and it will be carried out in the restoration work.
A local resident Ravi Harmalkar suggested building a rope way in the area which will be a revenue generating project.
“It will bring a lot of tourists and even generate jobs for the locals,” Harmalkar said.
