Only 1 Music Fest in Goa for New Yr
PTI, PANAJI | 26 September 2013 18:14 IST
Goa government will allow holding of only one electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the state on New Year eve in the light of security concerns.
While the state government has received application from organisers of Sunburn, a property by Percept Private Limited, to hold the event on December 27-29, reports say former tourism minister Fransisco Miccky Pacheco is seeking to host another gathering, Goa Beach Grind, at the same time.
Both EDM events are huge crowd-pullers in the country's most favoured beach destination where domestic as well as foreign tourists throng to welcome New Year.
State Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar yesterday said a committee under his ministry has so far received application to hold the event from Sunburn organisers only.
"I have not received the second application (Goa Beach Grind). I heard about it only through media," the minister said.
Parulekar said the government would allow only one EDM at a time due to security concerns.
"If at all we receive two applications for an event at the same time, only one would be allowed due to security concerns. We cannot provide security to both the events," he said.
While Sunburn has been hosted at Candolim beach since 2007, Goa Beach Grind at Betalbhatim beach was started in 2011.
"Which festival to be allowed would be decided by the committee. I have to follow what the committee decides," the minister said.
Announcing Goa Beach Grind on December 27-29, Pacheco had said he was bent on holding the event to counter Sunburn organisers who alleged they had paid bribe to state government to secure permission for their 2012 EDM.
Shadows of uncertainty loom over Sunburn event as chief minister Manohar Parrikar had asked organisers to either prove the bribery claim or be prepared not to get the permission for holding the event.
When asked about his take on the controversy, Parulekar said, "I am not supposed to reply if they (Sunburn) have said money was paid to state government. They have not said that the money was paid to me".
