Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The State government has constituted a five-member committee of experts to scrutinise the applications and representations for consideration and selection of suitable sites for reconstruction and restoration of temples destroyed during the Portuguese regime.
The committee will be headed by Dr Varsha Kamat, Professor and Head, Department of History, PES College, Farmagudi and comprises Dr Rohit Phalgaonkar, Dr Varad S Sabnis, Balaji Shenoy and Ulhas K Prabhu Dessai as members.
The Committee has been asked to submit the report with recommendations of sites for reconstruction of temples within a period of 30 days from the date of issue of order.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his budget speech had made a provision of Rs 20 crore for restoration and renovation of religious places destroyed during Portuguese era.
The government had asked applications from public to identify such sites along with evidences. The committee will now scrutinise these applications.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Fal Desai said the government was yet to decide which temples will be renovated or restored.
“Though there is no list of temples available with the department, there is substantial research in the public domain. There are documents in the archives,” he said.
Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai had said earlier that the decision to restore temples has some `agenda’ behind it.