Could people who welcome restoration but oppose privatization (superstore, shopping mall, film institute et al) of old GMC building have a separate yardstick for privatization of Reis magos, Cabo de Rama and Chapora (or what ever is left there) forts?. I salute Heraldo and the vernacular language dailies for highlighting the concerns and anxieties of Khola villagers..I had expected this. The CM and his officers had been hiding these facts. The decision is already made. Read Khola locals red over govt plan to handover Cabo-de-Rama fort http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local-News/Khola-locals-red-over-govt-plan-to-handover-Cabo-de-Rama-fort/37947.html
Why this issue is not being discussed?. Is it because eminent people are blessing the business deals and MOUs?. I am in favour of scientific restoration consistent with UNESCO charters. I am in favour of full transparency when Rs. 200 millions of 12 th finance commission are involved for heritage conservation. I am for open bidding and global tenders-not pick and choose, the selective treatment given to INTACH. Has anyone seen the master plan INTACH has prepared?. where are the copies? who would spare them to us?. The archives director avoided my questions. After restoration with public funds shall we surrender the monuments for private profit making interests?. Already TATAs are holding to land ( 2. 75 lakhs sq.mts.) worth Rs. 2500 milliions on Aguada plateau without paying the government the lease rent of Rs, One crore (10 millions) per year since 1998. Civil society does not ask them any questions. Why , because they give us NANO. where is their promised Disneyland, the entertainment park?. Why the lease deed is not cancelled and the land taken back to set up a public funded convention centre, for which central government promised Rs. 500 crores + ( you need to visit the panoramic helipad area to believe the importance of the land leased to Fort aguada hotels)... I am in favour of joint management of restored monuments in association of local authority- a people's management trust, a peoples' cooperative. Let us not underestimate Goan entrepreneurial spirit. We have seen the status of private engulfment of the defense structures of Fort Aguada. I am closely monitoring the systematic attempt of backdoor privatization of scenic heritage ( esp. Indo_Portuguese) monuments. The new business deals seem to be acceptable to NGOs and activists. Please get a copy of the tripartite MOU between INTACH, Goa Government and the lady Helen Hamlyn Trust. Prajal Sakardande got one for me and then I alerted him. ...the intention is sound but it is all like the useless expensive jetty built at Kala Akademy (for fashion and film shoots and eventually to cater to a powerful five star hotel's clients in Sinquerim and Panaji)....( the same hoteliar now wants the height of old bridges on Santa inez creek to be raised to permit boating a la venice style...that would also explain why the creek needs steps..as suggested by CCP. keep the track of these interesting developments in Panaji around Campal-St Inez area) I wish to tell my good friend Padabhushan Mario Miranda- the government had the funds, Rs. 200 million and we did not need Lady Helen Hamlyn's money. I had vehemently opposed this move since the beginning. The MOU was done hurriedly in an election year. The lady could have given the money to Goa INTACH to restore the crumbling houses of some great Goans, esp. Franciso Luis Gomes ..but we know why the lady had fallen in love with that fort... we also know that if the donation was indeed a "gift for goa' the same money should have been made available to restore St.Anne's church...an Indian Baroque masterpiece about which I had written after many visits...I trust my good friend arch Ketak Nachinolkar who is helping INTACH to restore the majestic church. I wish him success... Mariobab, you would not be able to do anything once the Reis magos fort is restored and the new business model is implemented..because INTACH would claim that they restored the fort with "their money"... we have seen what has happened to Fort Tiracol and ramparts of Fort aguada... fort of cabo de Rama and Chapora-scenic, lovely , saleble spots would be aggressively marketed and these would be well secured "gated privatized monuments" Of course I need to wait patiently before the scenarios which I am depicting come true and then the society begins to agitate on the same points...belatedly! Globalization is now truly enveloping Goa-now comes the backdoor privatization of the monuments! the usual argument would be -whether the state govt. has funds to maintain the monuments?. I had given the solution-establish village heritage councils, multistakeholder trusts. This official report is being incubated because powers to maintain heritage monuments were decentralised to PRIs. Govt. was favouring private interests (check decision on Casinos, online lottery etc.) Counter question:_How much is spent for 10 days IFFI?. From where this money is identified?. Rs. five lakhs for compering?. RS. 22 lakhs for a music show attended by just 300 people?. half a crore for some absurd "pani show"? This is an alert.. do not repent later... A a babu in New delhi drafted the amendment.." it is like diplomatic immunity" clause ... The government is pushing a draconian amendment to monuments act to protect agents of backdoor private interests...read the fine print-- it is an exceptional anti democratic amendment...to favour a few whatver the public may feel ... Once the amendment sets a precedent-then there would plethora of such "immunity" clauses, every minister would rush to have one... to keep out public and agitators...and litigations too... A particular group has warmed up to the idea of heritage hotels at Cabo de Rama and Chapora. But Goa is not Udaipur or Jaisalmer...the pitch of the campaign would mount now... Ask the local people their experience of visiting the Terekhol fort......or the public funded, Goa tourism owned Panaji park ( opp. Congress house) virtually captured by Panaji's most prominent hotelier....even the nearby open space is converted as an exclusive private hotel parking lot...when there is no parking space in Panaji The publicly owned, public funded, publicly developed park for citizens of panaji on tha banks of Mandovi river has been grabbed, totally modified, concretized and converted into a new "business model"- a gated premises..you can't use even the public funded urinals inside... these are small , small secrets which the intellectuals and culture vultures know but are reluctant to speak about... The residents of Khola are naturally agitated. what they don't know is the fact that Our government does not believe in a transparent process of inviting open global tenders. Whether they agitate or not once the draconian amendment is passed in the assembly they would have to fight the state besides the private interests and their publicists... Watch for Khola-it is a flashpoint... next would be restored fort of Reis magos, once it is privatized....and begins to generate 'revenue'.... there is more to come...I had talked to Fr. Bismarck reg. restoration of St. Estevam fort... let us see which business model follows there...I Am worried. benefit everywhere needs to go the locals including control and regulation.... -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA
