MARGAO
While the Old market Tinto “ which was once the city’s bustling commercial centre, but now a gambling den “ may find figure in the heritage scheme of things, questions are being raised whether the dilapidated old municipal building will also be part of the heritage conversation plan.
The TCP Minister had not so long ago supported the initiative of the historians and heritage lovers to restore the old Municipal building to its pristine glory. It’s still, however, unclear whether the old municipal building will find favour with the TCP Minister in his scheme of things of the SGPDA headed by his Goa Forward party president Dr Renuka Da Silva.
For, when The Goan asked the TCP Minister whether the Camara de Salcete building will also be taken up by the authorities under the heritage conservation plan, he made it quite clear that since ownership of the building is an issue, the building may not immediately form part of the heritage restoration plan. “Our government policy is to protect our rich architectural heritage. It is our duty to take care of our rich architectural heritage. But, the old Municipal building has an ownership issue. But at the same time, people such as Jose Lourenco has made an in depth study of the historical and architectural importance of the Camara de Salcete building,” he said.
Against this backdrop, the PDA will request the Heritage Committee, which has now members such as Eng. Ernest Moniz and others to talk to the local Church, the comunidade body, besides the owner how to take possession of the crumbling building. “I feel that the government will have to first acquire the building before making the investment to conserve the heritage building,” he said, adding that the Committee will pursue the matter with the owners by consulting them and taking other stakeholders into confidence.
Successive governments have only paid lip service to the need to conserve the old municipal building at Old Market. The local Margao Municipality has also failed to take a resolution adopted by the civic body to acquire the land and conserve the building for posterity, around eight years ago to its logical conclusion.
The demand for the conservation of the old municipal building came to the fore around half-a-decade ago after heritage lovers and historians led by Prajal Sakhardande, Jose Lourenco, besides former Margao Municipal Council chairperson Savio Coutinho protested over moves by the civic body to get the building demolished under the pretext that it was unsafe for human habitation.
