Thursday 13 Feb 2025

Activists protest against Old Goa illegal structure

UNESCO urged to get it demolished

THE GOAN NETWORK | MAY 29, 2023, 12:15 AM IST
Activists protest against   Old Goa illegal structure

Activists and heritage lovers who gathered at Old Goa to protest against the non-demolition of the structure which has come up within heritage precincts.

Photo Credits: Manuel Vaz

OLD GOA

Several activists and heritage lovers gathered at Old Goa, on Sunday, to protest against the structure which is built in heritage precincts of the St Cajetan Church.

Among the activists present included Xencor Polgi, Anthony D’Silva, Rajan Ghate, historian Prajal Sakhardande, Mariano Araujo, Michael Dias, Rama Kankonkar, Adv Shailesh Gawas, among others.

Sakhardande said that UNESCO should intervene in the matter and ensure that the structure is demolished as it has come up within the heritage precincts of St Cajetan Church, which is one of the seven UNESCO monuments in Old Goa.

“The structure has come up violating all norms and I appeal to the UNESCO world heritage committee to intervene and get the structure demolished,” Sakhardande stated.

Activist D’Silva said that the structure being built through fraudulent means should be demolished at the earliest, and it is the duty of the government to ensure that.

Activist Polgi opined that if this structure doesn’t fall, then more such structures would mushroom around the heritage monuments.

“The government demolishes illegal houses of the common man but it looks the other way when it comes to the illegal structures of the mighty,” Polgi opined but added that the activists won’t keep quiet till the structure is razed.

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