The jetty at Kala Academy’s Darya Sangam on the banks of the River Mandovi is perhaps the best indicator of the attention given to infrastructure that was put in place for Goa’s first International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2004. It lies in shambles. While the rest of the infrastructure, the Inox Multiplex and Kala Academy may not have deteriorated so badly, nothing has changed for these two venues.
It’s been 10 years since the first International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Goa. Ten years during which little has been added for the festival. IFFI moved to Goa with a flurry of activity with the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar personally ensuring that everything was in place before the festival rolled in.
That was in 2004, and now in 2014, Goa has become the permanent venue of the festival.
Earlier, before 2004, the festival was held in Delhi in alternate years, with the festival moving to other cities across the country every other year.
The weeks before the festival was to be inaugurated in 2004, Parrikar could be seen supervising the works even late into the night, ensuring that the infrastructure for the festival came up.
The capital city saw a complete makeover that included Goa’s first four-screen multiplex, development and beautification of the Miramar to Dona Paula road stretch, installation of nine light towers near KTC bus stand, and upgradation of Kala Academy and the jetty.
Since 2005, what Panjim got was patch-up works and re-painting of government buildings, as IFFI approached.
The roads are cleaned, footpaths are restored, dividers are re-painted, trees are pruned, bushes are trimmed and lights strung up in the city.
Film critic Sachin Chatte concedes that not enough has been done on the infrastructure front. “Infrastructure has not increased much but before that, we need to utilize the existing ones.
There are certain movies which are premiered on smaller screens though they draw large crowds. I also feel that the government should re-start screening movies at Ravindra Bhavan in Margao,” Chatte, who has been covering IFFI since 2004, said.
“We do have enough theaters to screen movies but the capacity has to increase with the increasing number of IFFI lovers every year. Similarly, infrastructure needs to be upgraded every year,” filmmaker Dnyanesh Moge said.
Dr Pandurang Phaldesai, former member secretary of Kala Academy on the other hand opined that there have been positive changes in the State with the coming of the festival.
“In a real sense, infrastructure has been created,” he said.
CAG REPORT
CAG report alleges irregularities in works related to IFFI 2004
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its 2004-05 report on State Finances had pulled up the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), for irregularities in infrastructure development works built for IFFI 2004.
It had alleged that bypassing established tendering procedures, allowing inflated projections to be cleared without adequate checks, exorbitant costs of consultants, contractors and architects were cleared though they lacked justification and transparency and this had led to huge expenditure. It blamed Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation for “defective, non-transparent bidding process and evaluation leading to some avoidable expenditure”.
Infrastructure built in 2004
Integrated Infrastructure Development for GOA IFFI. A master plan to provide and upgrade the infrastructure on long term basis was to be done. HOK Planning Group, Toronto, Canada as the lead Consultant.
In the Kala Academy complex approximate upgradation cost was around Rs 4 crore.
INOX Limited was built at approximately Rs 21.24 crore.
The entire stretch of road starting from Patto to Dona Paula jetty is being upgraded and beautified with provision of all related civil amenities including a promenade along the River Mandovi which also is adjoining the Old GMC Complex.
A new parallel Patto bridge, cost of this entire up gradation (widening, resurfacing and beautification of roads, promenades, dredging of Mandovi River and construction of a new Patto Bridge) is estimated to cost Rs 50 crore.
just promises
The permanent venue for the inaugural was supposed to have been ready by early 2006.
Kamat’s (then CM) constituency was sanctioned Rs 15 crore to build cinema halls in 2011.
A 5,000-seat convention centre was to have been constructed.
Parrikar and his promises
Construction of new movie theatres and a convention centre as announced by the central government in the national budget to be part of IFFI infrastructure.
Single-screen movie theatres in Panjim are in bad shape, and the State government could help in their renovation, if their owners are ready to hand them over to the government during IFFI.
Inox multiplex, constructed by the government and given on lease to a private party, is giving a net profit. The government proposes to upgrade the multiplex after IFFI 2014
