REMAINS OF THE PORTUGUESE ERA FORT AT OLD GOA WILL NOT BE ALTERED

PANJIM: Bowing down to the opposition from the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG), the Public Works Department (PWD) today assured that the remains of the Portuguese-era fort on the ‘Rajbid’ road at Old Goa will not be altered.

The assurance was given during an inspection by the PWD after representatives of GHAC highlighted the danger to a wall, moat and arch of the fort and a 11th century Kadamba-period stone paving.

Prajal Sakhardande, who is also a historian and lecturer, said he feared the fort wall and stone paving called ‘rajbid’ (meaning royal highway) abutting the former was in danger of being annihilated by construction activity.

This eight and half kilometer long royal highway connecting Old Goa to Goa Velha was the ancient trade route during the Kadamba period. PWD executive engineer P B Sheldarkar said that it is developing only 1.6 kms road and that the existing one kilometer narrow tar road was widened.

“We are developing the road on request by Carambolim Panchayat. We will not touch the wall, arch wall and the moat of the fort,” he said. However due to negligence, the laterite stone paving has been destroyed.

Similarly there are other development activities taking place in the same area, which does not fall under the PWD jurisdiction.  Prajal said that it will probe as to who was carrying out the developmental activities so as to inform them to preserve the remains of the fort.

The group under the banner ‘Save Rajbid’ had launched sustained campaign to save the rajbid as well the fort remains, but it alleged, that the State Archives did not heed to their grievances, which would have saved the laterite stone paving.