Tourist department yet to get possession of Aguada jail
THE GOAN NETWORK
More than ten days after it was announced that the Central jail Aguada would be converted into a museum, the possession of the jail premises is yet to be handed over to the tourism department.
Elvis P Gomes, Inspector General of Prisons, said, “I have not received any formal communication so far from the State government to hand over the Central jail Aguada to the tourism department”
This clearly shows that prisons department still has the possession of Aguada jail. No concrete work can happen on the project until the possession is handed over to the tourism department.
On May 13, it was informed that Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) had requested the State government to make Aguada jail a tourist spot. GTDC had even informed that it had started working on a project to preserve the heritage structure and showcase Goa’s freedom struggle. Actually, Aguada jail stopped functioning as a prison last year when the inmates were moved to Colvale jail.
When asked why Aguada jail has not been handed over to the tourism department, Nilesh Cabral, chairman, GTDC, replied, “The file is with the home department. They have to clear it. It will take some time”
Given that Fort Aguada is already a major tourist attraction, it is very likely that Aguada jail, when converted into a museum, will attract a lot of tourists. Besides, it will give an opportunity to so many artists in Goa to showcase their work as well.
The work on this project should happen at a fast pace because there are instances in the past when inordinate delays resulted in similar projects never happening. A case in point is the old Secretariat, which is waiting to become an art gallery for years now. But, not much has happened on that front.
