TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The government has showed intentions to review and bring in legislation on the single window clearances to enlarge its scope to include sectors other than tourism under it. Industry and Film shoots would also be cleared through a single window in the months to come.
The government, during question hour agreed that the single window system for tourism events needs to be modified. The Opposition benches on Tuesday lambasted the tourism ministry for various discrepancies in the existing single window system for clearing tourism events.
Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai Tuesday sought to know why the single window system for tourism events failed to follow one set of guidelines. He drew the attention of the House to certain disparities such as time taken to give permissions by the State Level Event Permission Committee for events and different quantum of fees levied for different events.
“In one case you have charged Rs 1 crore, in another Rs 1 lakh and in yet another Rs 30,000,” he said asking the government for the criteria for levying fees.
Sardesai sought to know how in some cases permissions were cleared by the committee within one sitting and in another it took four sittings. He pointed out that the single window system was detrimental for holding events and also sought to know what would happen in case events are held without clearances through single window.
“Constituted in November 2012, the single window system is not a single window system and event organizers have to go to several windows even after the SLEPC gives the approval,” Sardesai said.
Taking Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar to task, Sardesai pointing out that event organizers are put to hardships as evident from the lesser number of beat shows during Carnival this year.
Parulekar, however, clarified that the single window system comes into the picture only where events are proposed in tourism locations in the State drawing large crowds of 750 and 1000 plus.
He further clarified that the government had decided to give only one EDM permission at Candolim and had not banned EDMs in other locations.
“Since there was a fight between two organizers for Candolim it was decided to give permission only to one and the others were pushed to Vagator and Baga,” he explained.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo also lodged his protest over the ugly fallout following the cancellation of the Indo-Russian live music festival in January this year.
He felt that the tourism ministry should not have granted permissions in the first place knowing well about the growing tension between taxi operators and tour operators. He also reiterated the point that he had also not been taken into confidence by the SLEPC at the time of granting permissions.
Nuvem MLA Francisco Mickky Pacheco also cried foul over the shoddy treatment given to event organizers and alleged that the government would not promote, but destroy tourism instead.
