MARGAO
The Department of Archives and Archaeology has dashed off a letter to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department to place before the Conservation Committee a proposal to declare and protect the Portuguese-era Salcete Camara at the Old market as a heritage building.
The letter was made to the TCP department by the Director of Archives and Archaeology Blossom Madeira after the department received a petition from historian and member of the Heritage Action group Prajal Sakhardande to protect the crumbling Salcete Camara building as a heritage building. The Director of Archives and Archaeology told The Goan on Saturday that her office has forwarded Sakhardande’s petition to the TCP department with a note to examine the request of the historian since the Camara building has been lying in a dilapidated state over the years.
When contacted, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, who also holds the Archives and Archaeology department, told The Goan that Prajal Sakhardande’s proposal to protect and conserve the Camara building will be placed at the forthcoming meeting of the Conservation Committee for an appropriate decision.
“I have been in total agreement with the views expressed by the historian for the conservation of the Camara building. In this respect, I had even roped in a Spanish consultant to have a look at the crumbling building and prepare a report how to go about restoring the heritage building,” Sardesai said.
He exuded confidence that the Conservation Committee will take a positive call on the petition made by the historian.
In fact, the Margao Municipal Council headed by Babita Angle Prabhudesai, had adopted a resolution at a Council meeting last year to utilise the unutilised government funds lying with the civic body for the acquisition of the property playing host to the crumbling heritage structure.
Historian Prajal Sakhardande and concerned heritage lovers had been knocking the doors of the Margao municipality for over half a decade now with a plea to conserve the heritage building.
Around eight years ago, the Margao Municipal Council had adopted a resolution to set in motion the process to acquire the land where the Camara building is standing, but in vain.
