Clarifies those who met CM and Tourism Minister not part of temple committee
President of Dev Shri Khapreshwar Temple committee, Kartik Kudnekar, addresses media persons in Socorro.
Photo Credits: Anil Shankhwalker
PORVORIM
The Dev Shri Khapreshwar Temple committee has stated that any site for the reconstruction of the temple, which was removed for the elevated corridor project in Porvorim, would need to be discussed with committee members and locals before responding to the government.
Addressing a news conference in Socorro on Thursday, the Temple Committee President Kartik Kudnekar clarified that none of the persons who had gone to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant along with Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte was a member of the Khapreshwar Temple committee.
“We appreciate the statement of the chief minister that the new Khapreshwar temple will be built close to the old shrine. But regarding the place, I will have to discuss the matter with the committee members and locals and then we will respond to authorities,” said Kudnekar.
Commenting on the signing of consent terms, Kudnekar clarified that he had signed the consent terms for the construction of a flyover. “I am not against the development of Porvorim, but I had not signed for the demolition of Khapreshwar shrine. I am not a fool. I have been serving the devasthan for several years. How could I take such a decision regarding the demolition of the shrine?”
“I had approached Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, requesting them to save the temple. Hence, I was quite sure that Khapreshwar Devasthan would not be demolished,” said Kudnekar.
Advocate Shankar Phadte, who is representing the Khapreshwar temple, mentioned that a petition was filed before the Supreme Court by 12 private petitioners regarding the construction of the six-lane elevated corridor in Porvorim.
“Later, private parties agreed to a settlement out of court. The Supreme Court has not passed any order. Regarding the consent terms, it has been mentioned that structures which come within a distance of 25 metres (right of way) of the highway will be demolished,” said Phadte.
“Nowhere in the consent terms has it been mentioned that Khapreshwar temple will be demolished. The Khapreshwar temple was falling outside the 25 metres.”
“Secondly, no order was served by the PWD regarding the demolition of the Khapreshwar temple. Hence, committee members were sure that the Khapreshwar temple would not be demolished.”
“I was out of the station when the demolition was being done. If the order of demolition had been served, I would have approached the Supreme Court for relief. What was the hurry in demolishing the shrine,” questioned Phadte.
Kudnekar also clarified that none of the persons who had gone to meet the Chief Minister and the Tourism Minister were a member of the Khapreshwar Temple committee.
He claimed that while he is the president of the Khapreshwar Temple committee, the other members are Savlo Falkar (Secretary), Sandeep Kauthankar (Treasurer) and Nagesh Dadmani, Prakash Walke, Maruti Nanhore, Nirmala Thakur, Nitesh Parsekar, Vasudev Chari and Subhash Sahni (members).
