The Government of Goa Cabinet has approved the ‘Koti Tirth Corridor’ project at Divar, North Goa where a new Saptakoteshwar temple will be constructed on the original site that was destroyed during Portuguese rule. Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant stated that nearly 1,000 temples in Goa were destroyed by the Portuguese, and this project is part of the government’s effort to restore such places of worship.
To honour the memory of the deity and the sacred site, the Government has formed a high-level committee chaired by the Secretary of Archaeology to plan, execute, and oversee the development of the Koti Tirth Corridor.
The Chief Minister had also mentioned in his 2022–23 Budget Speech that the government would restore places of worship destroyed by the Portuguese. The corridor will serve as a devoted space preserving the heritage of Goa’s temples and as a lasting tribute to faith.
The work will be carried out through the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation. After the original temple was destroyed, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had constructed the Saptkoteshwar temple in Narve. The government is now ensuring that devotees can visit their family deity at the original location, based on reports prepared by the Department of Archaeology.
Among other decisions are the approval to the new Logistics and Warehousing Incentive Scheme 2025. To promote logistics and warehousing industries, the new scheme provides 10–15% capital subsidy, interest subsidies on loans, exemptions from stamp duty and registration fees, and a 50% subsidy on logistics management software (up to ₹2 lakh), informed Industry Minister Mauvin Godinho.
Other key decisions:
The Cabinet also approved organising the ‘Goa Street Circuit Race’ in Mormugao from 31st October to 2nd November, with an expected expenditure of ₹176 crore, of which Racing Promotion Private Limited will bear ₹127 crore. To prevent environmental damage, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) will be consulted for dump mining work. Additionally, the Cabinet approved the Dean’s position for the Veterinary College and allocated land at Usgao for a modern veterinary center. Amendments were also made to the Goa Public Service Rules.
