Form heritage bylaws for Goa’s monuments: HC

Panaji: The Bombay high court has issued notice to the ASI, town and country planning (TCP) department, Old Goa panchayat, and other central and state authorities in a PIL seeking formulation and preparation of draft site plans and draft heritage bylaws in respect of 21 centrally-protected monuments in Goa, including famous temples and churches, in a time-bound manner.

The PIL seeks the preparation of the draft site plans and draft heritage bylaws within three months for the 14 monuments in Old Goa, which include Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus.

The PIL also sought preparation of draft site plans and heritage bylaws within six months for the seven centrally protected monuments in other parts of Goa.

Glean Cabral and Tahir Noronha, who filed the PIL, are seeking directions to formulate and issue comprehensive guidelines and take the public and stakeholders into confidence before grant of any permission, temporary or permanent, in the vicinity of state monuments. They are also seeking directions to the State to formulate and issue comprehensive directions for taking prompt action for removal of illegal/unauthorised constructions and encroachments within protected, prohibited, and regulated areas of protected monuments.

Their petition seeks directions to quash and set aside permissions for construction issued to the tourism department and Old Goa police station and in the interim. In the interim, the PIL is seeking directions to the ASI to keep in abeyance all pending and fresh applications for constructions.

The petitioners are also seeking directions to the ASI’s regional director as well as to the National Monuments Authority to consider the objections and suggestions addressed by the petitioners on Feb 2, and to publish the heritage bylaws in respect of each of the 14 centrally protected monuments in Old Goa.