
The government of Goa has announced its intention to restore 122 private and dilapidated houses built during the Portuguese era over the next five years.
The move is part of the Goa State Heritage Scheme 2025, which will be rolled out in a phased manner in the next half a decade. Archives and archaeology minister Subhash Phal Dessai said on Friday, June 20, that owners will be offered interest-free loans and encouraged to promote tourism at these heritage sites while retaining ownership of their properties.
“Many houses are on the verge of collapse but as government, we have no right to touch such houses. We have found this way of helping protect, conserve, and restore these houses and incentivising them,” he said.
“One of the objectives of the Goa heritage policy is to integrate heritage into planning, tourism, education and climate resilience. The government will not stake its ownership on any of the structures. We will only invite their participation in a revenue-sharing model.”
The minister said that efforts will be made to preserve all the Portuguese-era artefacts, and history trails will be designed for students to explore. A survey will be conducted to identify all the undocumented antiquities in Goa, and a detailed paper will be written on these antiquities.
“Protection of memorials of the freedom struggle will also be taken under the scheme. The Goa State Memorial Maintenance Authority will be established under this. There will also be scope to preserve food items such as feni and chilli powder, among others, under this scheme,” Dessai said.
The Goa State Heritage Scheme 2025 includes a tentative list of 222 heritage sites, including 122 heritage houses, 46 folk forms and 61 traditional occupations, besides the 57 protected sites already under the Archaeology Department.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)