PANAJI: The news that several of Goa’s monuments could be handed over to private companies under the central government’s ‘Adopt a heritage’ scheme in subsequent phases has been welcomed by tourism stakeholders in the state who have said that the maintenance, if given in private hands, would only be good news for the maintenance of these structures.
Former President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Francisco de Bragança has opined that such a practise is followed across the world and has helped improve the state of maintenance of such structures and benefiting all the in process.
“Even in the western countries where the States are economically well off the Government does not have sufficient resources for their upkeep. India is relatively worse in terms of financial resources. And therefore the idea is ideally suited to maintain our crumbling monuments. Goa also needs to follow suit. We should not look at this idea through the prism of politics,” Bragança opined.
He, however, said that the necessary safeguards should be in place especially when it comes to religious monuments as well as in the selections of which corporate house is being given which monument and through what process.
“We need to distinguish between religious monuments from the non-religious historical monuments. We need to tread carefully as regards religious monuments and adopt a consultative approach in respect of religious monuments,” Bragança said.
“We have seen what was the condition of the Reis Magos Fort when it was under the Department of Archives. It was crumbling all over and if not for timely action by the Helen Hamlyn Trust through the intervention of INTACH it would have fallen into ruins. On account of the financial support from Lady Helen Hamlyn Trust, we now see a vibrant monument which has come to life again. There was opposition when it was being done. But once done everyone is appreciative of the result,” he added.
A similar view was echoed by the present president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa Savio Messias who pointed to the present state of Goa’s heritage managed by the government as well as that which has been ‘privatized’.
“This kind of thing cannot be left to the inefficiencies of the government. In Goa, if you look at the two forts that have been privatized -- the Tiracol fort that the government has given to a hotelier to run and the Reis Magos Fort and then you have a look at the Chapora and Cabo de Rama fort which is under the control of the government. They are in ruins,” Messias said.
“Left with the government they will be maintained like government offices where even the toilets are not well kept,” Messias added.
Both the stakeholders said that the corporates should not be given a free run, but be subjected to local sensibilities and restrictions.
“As far as Goa is concerned a Tourism Board representing the tourism industry, arts, culture and financially supported by the needs to drive the upkeep of the monuments, be it through corporate patronage or financial support from the Government as part of a tourism initiative. The decision should be left to the Tourism Board which the Government needs to create,” Bragança said.
“My only reservations are the transparency of the process of selection of the corporate sponsor and adopting a careful and consultative approach in respect of religious monuments,” he added.
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TTAG MEETING TO
DISCUSS ISSUE
PANAJI: The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa has called for a meeting on May 3 to discuss the issue and a formal statement from the organisation will be arrived at after the meeting. Five of Goa’s heritage monuments -- Old Goa Church Cluster, Aguada Fort and Light House, Panaji, Morjim Beach, Chapora Fort and Cabo De Rama Fort are listed to be handed over to the private agency Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd, which also mans Goa’s beaches through lifeguarding services, in the second phase of the central government’s adopt a monument scheme.
V Resorts has been listed as the corporate house to maintain the Basilica Bom Jesus, at Old Goa which is listed in the third phase of the scheme.
News broke that the iconic Red Fort will be adopted and maintained by a private entity Dalmia Bharat under the Centre’s ‘Adopt a Heritage’ Project, caused an uproar with several opponents questioning the government’s inability to maintain its own monuments and handing over the responsibility to private companies.
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It's a 'monumental' disaster: AAP
PANAJI: The government’s decision to hand over monuments of national importance to private companies for the upkeep is a ‘monumental disaster’ the Aam Aadmi Party in the state has said.“The government intentionally made these sites orphans to allow adoption by these corporates. Now they admit that they cannot protect our monuments and want to sell them to outsiders in the name of adoption. They cannot protect our land, our rivers and our rights. Goa is put on sale. What right do they have to rule over us?” AAP’s General Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar said.
Calling upon Goans to foil these shameful attempts by vested interests to capture the state from all fronts, Padgaonkar threw a challenge to the government to come clean on the move of the Government to allow adoption of monuments by a lifeguarding company.
