📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vyacheslav Argenberg
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Save Old Goa campaign files court petition over Haat Katro heritage dispute
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 03 Oct 2026, 04:02 AM
👁 18
The heritage‑preservation group ‘Save Old Goa’ has approached the Goa High Court to intervene in the Haat Katro matter affecting Old Goa's historic fabric.
The citizen‑led ‘Save Old Goa’ campaign announced that it will seek judicial relief in the Goa High Court concerning the Haat Katro issue, a long‑standing dispute over a historic market area in Old Goa. The group claims that recent construction activities and alleged encroachments threaten the heritage character of the precinct, which is part of the UNESCO‑listed Old Goa heritage zone.
Legal counsel for the campaign has filed a petition requesting a stay on any further development work until a detailed heritage impact assessment is completed. The petition also asks the court to direct municipal authorities to enforce existing conservation regulations.
Officials of the Goa state heritage department have been served with a copy of the petition and are expected to respond within the statutory period. The case highlights ongoing tensions between development pressures and preservation efforts in the region.
If the court grants the relief sought, it could set a precedent for stricter oversight of heritage sites across the state, reinforcing the legal framework that protects monuments and traditional market spaces.
The hearing date has not yet been announced, and the campaign has urged the public to support its cause through peaceful demonstrations and awareness drives.
Legal counsel for the campaign has filed a petition requesting a stay on any further development work until a detailed heritage impact assessment is completed. The petition also asks the court to direct municipal authorities to enforce existing conservation regulations.
Officials of the Goa state heritage department have been served with a copy of the petition and are expected to respond within the statutory period. The case highlights ongoing tensions between development pressures and preservation efforts in the region.
If the court grants the relief sought, it could set a precedent for stricter oversight of heritage sites across the state, reinforcing the legal framework that protects monuments and traditional market spaces.
The hearing date has not yet been announced, and the campaign has urged the public to support its cause through peaceful demonstrations and awareness drives.