PANAJI
: Goa
Raj Bhavan
has been closed to the public for the next six months due to the threat perception to Goa governor
Satya Pal Malik
.
A senior officer at Raj Bhavan said that the
governor
qualifies for Z-plus security and faces an immediate threat from terrorist organisations.
Malik was governor of
Jammu and Kashmir at the time when the Union government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two Union territories.
“We will have timely reviews of the threat perception and take decisions accordingly. However, at present we have decided to close the Raj Bhavan for six months,” the officer said.
The regular 9.30am Sunday mass was cancelled at the Raj Bhavan chapel on November 3 in what the faithful say is a first as far as they can recall. “Even when L K Advani visited Goa, the mass wasn’t cancelled. In fact, he attended the mass,” one churchgoer said.
Sunday mass was cancelled due the swearing-in ceremony, the senior officer said.
Those looking to attend Sunday mass, even occasionally, at the chapel have been requested to send their names as well as that of their family members, addresses and telephone numbers so that these can be entered into a database to permit them to enter the premises.
“Seventy per cent of those who visit the chapel are regulars and we want to prepare a list with the parish priest. A bio-metrics database of those visiting the chapel will be created and once the system is place they will be allowed to attend mass here,” the officer said.
Malik, who was sworn in as governor of Goa on Sunday, said he has come to a peaceful state from “a problematic place” and hopes to spend time in a relaxed manner. “Mera waqt yahan bahut araam aur bahut acche se guzrega. Log bhi yahan acchee hain” (my time here will be spent in a relaxed manner and in a good way. People here are good too).
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