It is to be known that Panaji as an area was not inhabited, though it had sparse pockets of houses. The primary residential habitation was in the village of Taleigao and people walked down from there to carry out errands and employment to the port city of Panaji.

The area of Panaji now referred to as Miramar, Campal, Tonca and others were marshy areas interspersed by rivulets passing through the lands thereby giving it an impression that this area was made up of islets – hence the Taluka was called as ‘Tiswadi’ or a place made of 30 “wadis” or locales. Besides being uninhabited the area between St. Inez to Taleigao comprised of a thick jungle and was void of any decent access.

The construction of Panjim – Dona Paula Road was ordered by Antonio Cesar de Vasconcellos Correa, Visconde de Torres Novas. He was Governor between 1855 and 1864. The road was inaugurated on 3 rd November 1859, precisely on the 4 th Anniversary of Torres Novas having assumed the high office of Governor of Estado da India. The works of building the roads was taken up from the present location of Don Bosco High School up to Dona Paula. Though much of the road was constructed by the end of the 4 th year, it nearly took 11 years in all for the entire road to be completed.

Located a hundred meters before the Tonca junction of Santa Ines, the one surviving pillar (of the possible two landmarks) contains the following on two of its four sides – the Northern & Western sides. The stone engravings read as follows:

(Road to Dona Paula, ordered and completed during the
fortuitous governance of Most Illustrious Excellency the
Viscount of Torres Novas in 1859)

(Inaugurated on 3 rd November, 1859 – 4 th Anniversary
of the day when his Excellency held the reigns of
Governance of this State)

Source: ‘Historicus’ Private Archives of Vasco Pinho - 2229602