the goan I network
MARGAO
All eyes are centered on the Conservation Committee which is expected to take a call on bestowing heritage status on the Portuguese-era Camara de Salcete building lying in ruins at the Old market.
Once the Conservation panel decides to declare the crumbling Municipal building as a heritage site, the question of utilising the building or the land in question for real estate development may be ruled out.
The Department of Archives and Archaeology had a couple of months ago received a suggestion from historian Prajal Sakhardande and others, with a plea to restore the heritage status of the Portuguese-era building for posterity.
Incidentally, Town and Country Planning Minister, Vijai Sardesai had earlier this week held out a virtual threat to the owners of the land housing the crumbling Camara de Salcete building to cooperate in the restoration of the building, saying that neither the building nor the land housing the structure can be put to any other use after the Conservation panel bestows heritage status on the site. “We have had discussions with the land owners, wherein we have made our intention clear to restore the site as a heritage site for posterity. The government can even procure the land by invoking the procurement clause in the event the owners are willing to hand over the building to the Municipality,” the TCP Minister said.
Saying that efforts will continue to persuade the land owners to part with the land and the structure to facilitate the government to restore the site to its pristine glory, the TCP Minister said that the owners should understand that declaration of the area as a heritage site may not help them in any way.
The TCP Minister had mooted not just the restoration of the crumbling structure, but had announced that the proposed Fatorda Municipal Council can function from the heritage structure after its restoration. “The Fatorda Municipal Council can come in the crumbling structure if the owners are ready to part with the land. If not, we will explore the possibility of setting up the building for the new municipality at the Opinion Poll Square,” he added.
Acquisition of the land housing the crumbling Camara de Salcete building and restoring the place to its pristine glory had been a long standing demand of Madgavkars over the years. However, though the Margao Municipal Council had around eight years ago adopted a resolution to acquire the land in question, but in vain.
