Panaji, Mar 15 (PTI) The Goa government will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite Pope Francis for the decennial exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier, scheduled to be held towards the end of this year.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday chaired a meeting of the coordination committee set up to oversee the preparations for the event.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees are expected to visit the decennial exposition of the relics kept at Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.
The last exposition was held ten years ago, in 2014-15. The latest exposition is scheduled to be held from November 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
Sawant told reporters that the state government will write to the PM, requesting him to invite the Pope. During their last meeting, PM Modi had invited Pope Francis to visit India, he added.
During the coordination committee meeting, which was attended by priests from the Basilica and officials of the Archeological Survey of India, it was decided that the preparations should be expedited, he said.
An Information Centre for visitors would be opened in Old Goa on April 15, and necessary facilities including accommodation would be provided, Sawant said.
The state government has earmarked a budget of Rs 10 crore for the exposition while additional funds would be diverted from other departments, the chief minister added. PTI RPS KRK
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