PANAJI
The over four century old Cabo Raj Bhavan will be declared a 'national' monument, its current occupant Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai has said even as the President of India Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone for the new building for the Governor's residence and office within its campus on Wednesday.
Pillai has clarified that the current 400-year old structure of the Cabo Raj Bhavan will be kept intact.
“Existing Goa Raj Bhavan will be declared as a national monument. The facility will be thrown open for public/ tourists once the new Raj Bhavan is constructed,” Pillai said.
Earlier, Kovind laid the foundation stone for the new Raj Bhavan annexe in the presence of the Governor, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister of State for Tourism, Shripad Naik, Goa Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar among others.
Meanwhile, Pillai's office has issue a clarification that the existing over 400-year-old structure will remain intact and without any modification.
With regard to objections by a section of Goans to the proposal to build a new Raj Bhavan, the Governor's office said the existing structure is over 400 years old and has undergone a great deal of wear and tear, resulting in the PWD spending crores of rupees every year for its upkeep.
"Over the years, the needs and requirements of Raj Bhavan have undergone a great deal of change, requiring more space with modern facilities and amenities," the Governor's office said, justifying the proposal.
Kovind who laid the foundation stone for the new Raj Bhavan, however, did not make any speech at the event. Pillai said, the president declined to speak owing to the technicalities involved with the upcoming Presidential election.
