Govt to build new Goa Sadan in New Delhi NT Staff Reporter Panaji March 7: The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsingh Rane said that the government would soon initiate the construction of a new Goa Sadan building, at New Delhi. Mr Rane told The Navhind Times today that there already exists a budgetary provision for this project. A land has been identified and acquired for the purpose, at Chanakyapuri.
Mr Rane said that the government also proposes to renovate the International Centre Goa, at Dona Paula and further undertake its extension with additional rooms. Earlier in the day, the president of 'Goenkarancho Ekvott', Ms Suman Kurade alleged that the government has been delaying the new Goa Sadan project in spite of the fact that the existing Goa Sadan located along the Amrita Sher Gill Road, near Lodhi Garden, is totally inadequate to cater to the needs of Goans visiting the capital city. The existing Goa Sadan building, a heritage structure has only 14 rooms, out of which 4 are reserved for the ministers, she pointed out. Addressing a press conference, Ms Kurade said that besides Goa Sadan, the government should set up a Goa Information Centre and a Goa Handicrafts Centre, in the capital city, both of which would promote the real culture and tradition of Goa. "Presently a person representing the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, is available at the existing Goa Sadan, but he has no knowledge about Goa," she remarked. A full-fledged Goa Information Centre, including a library with books and literature about Goa should be established to give away right information about the tourist state, in the right perspective, she added. Ms Kurade also said that setting up an economically viable handicraft emporium in Delhi, to display and sell Goan handicraft items, would give a boost to the local artisans. "At present, the Goan handicraft industry is dying and the local artisans need to be provided with incentives like financial aid and technical know-how," she observed. She also suggested that an advisory committee be set up in Goa to provide designs for handicraft items as well as advise the government and artisans. "Finally," Ms Kurade said, "the typical bureaucratic functioning at the Goa Sadan needs to be changed and further, paperwork required for availing benefit of the Goa Sadan should not be restricted to government offices in Goa." 'Goenkarancho Ekvott' is an association of Goans settled in New Delhi, Ms Kurade said, adding that the members of the group meet once every month, at the present Goa Sadan building. "The group had also organised seminars on the topic 'Goa, today and tomorrow' and 'Changing identity of Goans', recently," she informed. ~(^^)~ Avelino
