Chapora & Halarn forts to be restored this year
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 08 April 2013 19:55 IST"Dil Chahta Hai" trio at Chapora fort
All major forts in Goa would be restored in next five years, if the government means what it says.
The plan is to take up at least two forts every year, for restoration.
This year, Halarn and Chapora forts would be taken up, said chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Chapora fort has suddenly become famous with a movie "Dil Chahta Hai".
“Restoration means just not reconstruction but it is a job of experts who restore it without disturbing the historical significance”, said Parrikar.
He has provided a list of total 51 important archaeological sites from all over Goa, identified by the Archaeological department.
Most of these sites are however from 10 talukas, with no site located in Sattari and Dharbandora.
There is hardly one Cabo de Rama fort identified in Canacona taluka and two in Quepem - Chandranath temple in Paroda and Cavrem rock carvings of Kazur.
The chief minister however plans to update the list as many forts are still not being recognized by the department.
“I want to have a committee of MLAs to suggest more names”, said Parrikar.
He also accepted opposition leader Pratapsing Rane’s suggestion to collect all the historical statues scattered everywhere and even thrown in the wells and place it in the museum.
“We plan to restore the forts on the lines of Reis Magus, which has become a major tourist attraction”, Parrikar said.
Among 51 archaeological sited identified by the Archaelogical department so far, only 14 are the government property.