Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, will inaugurate the first-ever National GST Museum in the historical 400-year-old 'Blue Building', in Panjim this afternoon. The event will be held at 3.30 pm on Saturday, June 11, 2022.
Under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic Week’ celebrations of the Ministry of Finance, the Finance Minister will dedicate to the nation, the National Museum of Customs and GST. It will be followed by the inauguration of the GST Gallery. Dharohar, a short film will also be screened on the occasion.
Dharohar is housed in Panjim’s famous Blue Building on the banks of the Mandovi River. The two-story building, popularly known as Alfandega during the period of Portuguese rule in Goa, is more than 400-years-old.
Dharohar is a one-of-a-kind museum in the country and showcases not only artifacts, seized by Indian Customs officials across the country, but also depicts basic customs procedures for the benefit of the general public. Notable among its displays are the handwritten manuscript of Ain-i-Akbari, a replica of Amin pillars, seized metal and stone artifacts, ivory items and wildlife items.
On July 25, 2009, the then Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, first inaugurated the museum. Since then, in addition to the existing seven galleries, more galleries have been added.
'The recent addition comes in the form of the GST Gallery which showcases the timeline of making the Goods and Services Tax the most ‘historical indirect taxation reform of New India.’