NT Reporter | Panaji
The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the Goa Heritage Policy 2025, which aims at preserving over 200 historic, archaeological and heritage sites apart from over 100 private and government buildings of heritage value.
The draft policy was released in December 2024.
The state’s heritage policy provides for financial and technical support to private heritage homes and encourages their adaptive reuse for tourism. The policy covers 14 core areas, recognises 46 folk art forms and acknowledges 61 traditional occupations.
A 172-page draft heritage policy document was handed over by a 15-member monitoring committee to Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Phal Dessai on December 26, 2024. The committee was led by Dr Pandurang Phaldessai, a renowned scholar on Goa’s folklore and culture.
The minister had then said that by incorporating provisions for private heritage homes and by aligning with global standards, the policy will be formulated in such a way that Goa’s cultural legacy remains protected for future generations.
The policy underscores an integrated strategy for conservation, focusing on tangible assets such as historical monuments, religious landmarks and traditional village architecture, as well as intangible heritage, including festivals, traditional crafts and oral traditions. The policy drafting process had begun way back in November 2023. This is the first-ever state-level heritage policy in India.
