Report on temples demolished by Portuguese regime will be made public: Goa CM

Panaji, June 2 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that a report regarding the demolition of temples by the Portuguese regime will be made public soon.

Sawant said this during a live interaction with the people through a phone-in programme, 'Hello Goenkar' on Doordarshan-Panaji.

A question regarding restoration of the temples demolished by the Portuguese regime was asked by one Kripa Pirankar from Merces in North Goa.

"We have set up a committee (to study claims). It has prepared a report after going through all letters, sent by the public, received in regards to temples demolished by the Portuguese regime. The report is ready. We will publish it soon," Sawant said, replying to Kripa Pirankar.

The Goa government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 20 crore in 2022 to restore the temples demolished by the Portuguese regime.

Earlier, Minister for Archaeology, Subhash Phal Dessai, had said that these committee members were vetting the details by visiting the sites and speaking to the villagers.

"Once, it is confirmed that the temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, the restoration work will begin. We want to do it in a fair way," he said.

"The Portuguese regime used to send orders in writing (about destroying structures). Their documentation used to be perfect, which is there (with us). Archival sources will be converted into claims and archaeological remains will be studied to confirm them," Dessai said.

There is also a demand from the public to take up the restoration work of several other historical sites of the coastal state.