Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Dec 2: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has informed South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed and submitted detailed survey plans demarcating prohibited and regulated zones around Goa’s nationally protected monuments.
Responding to the MP’s letter dated July 29, 2025, the Minister said that 21 protected monuments fall under the ASI’s Goa Circle, and survey plans for 17 of them have been finalised. These plans clearly outline the protected areas, the prohibited 100-metre buffer and the regulated 200-metre zone surrounding each monument.
Capt Fernandes had urged the Centre to expedite demarcation of buffer zones around all 21 monuments and ensure their integration into the Goa Regional Plan, citing confusion faced by homeowners whose properties fall near heritage sites.
In his reply, Shekhawat stated, “Survey plans for 17 of these monuments, covering protected, prohibited and regulated areas, have been prepared and the corresponding 100-metre and 200-metre zones have been properly established.”
He added that the ASI has shared these plans with the office of the Chief Town Planner, since the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department is the competent authority for evaluating construction-related proposals within these zones. The TCP has also notified the details in the Gazette of Goa.
Shekhawat noted that preparation of the Goa Regional Plan is a State subject, and urged the relevant departments to incorporate ASI’s data into the plan for effective heritage management. “The concerned department may superimpose the ASI-provided data on the RP to ensure effective regulation and planning around protected monuments,” he said.
Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to safeguarding India’s cultural heritage, he assured the MP that concerns regarding clarity of buffer-zone demarcation have been duly acknowledged.
In his earlier letter, the South Goa MP had highlighted that residents living near these sites struggle to obtain approvals for routine repairs and extensions due to ambiguity around zone boundaries. He had requested the Ministry to ensure that buffer and no-development zones around national monuments are clearly defined and incorporated into the State’s planning framework.