PANAJI
The State government has constituted an expert committee, led by the Secretary for Museums, to oversee the restoration and creation of a new museum and art galleries at the Old Secretariat building in Panaji.
The 14-member committee, whose scope and responsibilities are clearly defined, is expected to begin work immediately.
“The committee shall meet as and when required to discuss the matter related to the restoration and setting up of a museum at the Old Secretariat building. The scope of work of the Expert Committee is to approve the restoration plan and its financial estimate, finalize/approve the layout and interior design plan for the setting of museum and art galleries, monitor the execution of work; and advise and setting of various galleries,” reads the order.
Besides the Secretary (Museum) who is the head of the committee; the members comprise of Principal Chief Engineer or representative, Public Works Department; Marwin Gomes (Chief Architect PWD), Ketak Nachinolkar (Conservation Architect ), Natasha Da Costa Fernandes (Curator, Museum of Christian Art ), Baiju Parthan (Artist) Rohit Falgaonkar (Expert in Goan History & Archaeology), Karmal (Prita) Sardesai (Architect), Querozito De Souza (Painter), Anjali Sen (Former Director, National Gallery of Modern Art), Viraj Naik (Painter) Prashant Panjiar (Photographer and Curator) and Tallulah D’silva (Architect ) while the Director of Museums is appointed as the Member Secretary.
The Adilshah Palace’s charge (Old Secretariat) was transferred from the Department of Art and Culture to the Museum Department in 2023. In August 2024, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the Palace would undergo restoration.
After an earlier restoration in 2011, despite which it largely remained unused, the launch of the Serendipity Arts Festival in 2016 gave it a new lease of life. A year later, the Goa State Museum moved over 8000 antiques to the ground floor of this oldest surviving building.
The offices of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited, Kala Academy, and the Directorate of Museum are currently housed here while the structure including the wooden beams, remains in poor condition.
