Goa: 20 cr set for renovation of monuments

Panaji, Aug 24: The Goa government had earmarked Rs 20 crore as grant under the 12th Finance Commission for renovation, restoration, maintenance of and laying approach roads to 51 archaeological monuments.

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage(INTACH) is entrusted with the task.

Goa, ruled by the Portuguese till its liberation in 1961 was dotted with several churches, some of them declared as the World Heritage Monuments, attracting tourists, mostly Catholics from India and abroad.

Stating this after visiting 450-year-old Church of Saint Ann at Talauli in Tiswadi taluk of North Goa here today following reports of its partial damage following heavy rains and gales, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had allocated Rs 3.8 crore for its restoration and maintenance.

Of this, Rs 2.6 crores would be relesed under the 12th FC grant and the rest under the scheme of world monument grant.

Santa Anna was a suburb of Old Goa with a population of 1400 with noblemen residing in the area 450 years ago.

The chief minister had also conferred with the local legislator Francis Silveira besides representatives of the church and officials of the department of art and culture and the Archaeological Survey of India in this connection.

UNI