PANAJI: If you thought the name of the port town Vasco da Gama was in fact Vasco da Gama, you are wrong.
In reply to a question by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai who sought to know the “official name of the city of Vasco da Gama as per Government records,” D’Souza said: “As per Notification No. 16/15/2010-RD dated 16/03/2011, the name mentioned is Sambhaji, (Vasco-da-Gama) also adding that “As per records available the name of the city is mentioned as Sambhaji (Vasco-da-Gama) in the Notification of 1971 and 2011.”
When asked whether the government has any intention to change the name back to Vasco da Gama, D’Souza said it was “not applicable.”
The issue of the name being Sambhaji came to light when people residing in Vasco received their new ration cards which mentioned ‘Sambhaji’ as the name of the city of residence leading to an uproar with opposition parties latching on the issue and accusing the government of changing the name of the city through a ‘mischievous’ backdoor entry.
