PANAJI: Goa PWD Minister Digambar Kamat on Friday inaugurated the fully renovated Goa Niwas in New Delhi, in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi Home and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood. The upgraded facility is aimed at providing affordable, quality accommodation to Goans visiting the national capital, particularly middle-class and working-class families.
Announcing that rooms at Goa Niwas would be available at a fixed rate of Rs 2,000 per night, Kamat said the renovation had transformed the property into a modern facility offering greater comfort and convenience to visitors from the state. “Our government firmly believes that middle-class and working-class families travelling on LTC to Delhi, Dehradun or other places need a place to stay for a couple of days. Private hotels in Delhi are unaffordable for common citizens,” Kamat said.
Kamat said the project was originally scheduled for completion in December but was expedited following Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's suggestion to make the facility available before Diwali, when many Goans travel to Delhi. “I cannot take sole credit; I can only guide, but execution depends entirely on the team,” he said, thanking the engineers, contractors, Principal Chief Engineer Sandip Prabhu, Resident Commissioner Shakeel Ul Rehman Rather and their teams for completing the work within the stipulated timeline.
Kamat also said the government was planning to rebuild Goa Sadan, another Goa Government property in Delhi, which is currently in a dilapidated condition. The property has been handed over to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for planning, he said.
Emphasising the government's intention to promote Goan cuisine in the national capital, Kamat said efforts were underway to ensure that authentic Goan food is served at Goa Niwas. “If anyone in Delhi asks where to find genuine Goan cuisine, one can proudly say, ‘Go to Goa Niwas’. That is our goal,” he said, adding that a suitable food provider would be engaged to serve authentic Goan meals.
Delhi Home and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood congratulated the Goa Government, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Kamat for completing the renovation, describing the initiative as an important step towards making quality accommodation accessible to visitors from Goa. “Providing middle-class citizens of Goa the opportunity to stay in such a prime location at reasonable rates while exploring Delhi is a fantastic initiative,” Sood said.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta congratulated the Goa Government on the renovated facility, praising its interiors, rooms and amenities. She particularly appreciated the decision to name each floor after rivers of Goa. “The fact that you have named each floor after the rivers of Goa is a beautiful feature that connects you to your state's traditions and heritage. This is the true implementation of the mantra given to us by the Prime Minister: ‘Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi’,” Gupta said.
She said Delhi represented a miniature India, with people from different states living together and celebrating each other's festivals, traditions and cuisines. “Traditions, culture, cuisine and every cultural element associated with different states are enjoyed collectively in Delhi,” she said, referring to the city's celebrations of festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Bihu, Onam and Dandiya.
Gupta also noted that the Goa Government had overcome several challenges, including clearing encroachments on the land to make effective use of the property. Describing Goa Niwas as a valuable public asset, she said it would benefit not only visitors from Goa but also Goan families residing in Delhi. She also urged the Goa Government to expedite the proposed authentic Goan restaurant at the premises so that residents of the capital could experience Goan cuisine.
