PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa, on Tuesday, once again adjourned to Wednesday the matter on the proposed Goa Sea Food Festival at Miramar.
When the matter came up for hearing, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the Court that there is a change in the government policy in allowing seafood festivals on the beaches and that the cabinet has also approved a new policy in this regard. However, he sought time to file an application along with an affidavit when the Court asked him to produce the copies of the government decisions.
The Advocate General further stated that he would furnish copies of the application and affidavit to the petitioner and other respondents by Tuesday evening.
The Court also asked the Advocate General to produce copies of the traffic plan at Miramar during the festival. But the petitioners did not receive copies of the application and the affidavit.
The Department of Tourism is organising a three-day Goa Sea Food Festival, at Miramar, from February 9 to 11, during the Carnival in the State.
Former Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) councillor Patricia Pinto and 11 others from Panjim have challenged the decision of the Department of Tourism to hold the Goa Sea Food Festival, on the Miramar Beach, from February 9 to 11, despite the government’s policy decision to ban food festivals on all the beaches of the State.
The petitioners have stated that the decision of the Department of Tourism to go ahead with organising the Goa Sea Food Festival on Miramar Beach was in violation of the High Court orders dated February 14, 2001 and December 14, 2004.
According to the petitioners, in April 1999, the State government had taken a policy decision not to allow any food festivals to be organised anywhere on the beaches nor to permit any other activities which leave the beaches dirty or create unclean and unhygienic atmosphere, and a blanket ban in this regard had been decided to be imposed. Again in February 2000, the government informed the High Court about its policy decision not to allow any food festival to be organised anywhere on the beaches nor to permit any other activities there.
The petitioners have also prayed that the CCP Commissioner be directed not to give permission/licence to the Department of Tourism for holding of the Goa Sea Food Festival, on Miramar beach.
