Online booking, police nod must for visit to Goa Raj Bhavan

Panaji: Two days after the Goa tourism department announced that the governor's house here would be closed for public temporarily due to "security reasons", the Raj Bhavan has said those who make advance online bookings will be allowed to visit the place after police verification.

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Satya Pal Malik was on Sunday sworn in as the governor of Goa. He earlier served as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been bifurcated into two Union Territories.

On Tuesday, the Goa tourism department on its official website said the Raj Bhavan will be closed for visitors for a period of six months due to security reasons.

However, the governor's secretary Rupesh Kumar Thakur in a statement on Wednesday said the 'Raj Bhavan darshan' (visit) has been reviewed and in view of the request from various quarters, it has been decided to open it for visitors.

He said as per the existing practice, people will have to make an online booking on the Raj Bhavan's official website and register at least two days prior to the visit.

"The entry will be subject to police verification and frisking at the Raj Bhavan's main gate," Thakur said.

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The Goa Raj Bhavan has a scenic view as it is located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea in Dona Paula area near Panaji. It houses a chapel and a garden comprising several medicinal plants and trees.